On 02/08/2013 08:56, Tim Watts wrote:
On Thursday 01 August 2013 16:38 Spider wrote in uk.rec.gardening:

Good luck with your planting. Show us some pictures in due course.

Thanks again.

Just wanted to add: searching for one of the plants you mentioned randomly
brought up:

http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/

which has a nice searching function and fills in the details about water,
soil and light requirements.

I did not know about that site - seems useful



Yes, I can see it would be very useful for your wrap-round wall
plantings. Good site.



PS -

"acid feed" -

Would something like this:

http://www.housewaresonline.co.uk/ga...re-plant-food-
doff-1492105-ericaceous-plant-feed-1ltr-p-262.html

blended with neutral feed to achieve neutral pH water (at the correct dosing
rate), be a sensible approach?

I'm not even sure what our water is like here (East Sussex) - but I know how
to test it




I couldn't see your link, Tim, but I use a liguid ericaceous food when
watering. If I'm blending compost, I mix in granular food with the
soil. Use whichever suits your watering system. As you surmise,
ericaceous food can be used at a weak dilution to soften hard water, as
well as at instructed dilution for feeding.

Aside from ericaceous plants, most plants (esp. in containers) need a
general purpose feed to start the year. However, many specialised
'container' composts come with added fertiliser *and* water retaining
gel. Read the packaging to see when/if you need to start feeding. High
Potash fertiliser (Tomorite, etc.) is used to promote flowering and
ripening of the plant and its fruit. After the end of July, do not use
any nitrogenous feed as it will promote soft growth which will be
damaged by early frosts.

It's worth mentioning that if your home water supply has an added water
softening device, then it is likely to be harmful to your plants.



On another tanget, seems most of my herbs would like good sun (with the
exception of coriander which apparantly makes more leaves in part shade) -
so they sound like good candidates for the front, which is handy as that's
where the kitchen is anyway!



Yes, that's generally true. The sun intensifies the natural plant oils,
giving better flavour. If you grow marjoram and thyme, it is worth
letting them flower (or growing spare plants) because it attracts both
bees and butterflies. Read up on freezing herbs, too, so you have some
to use in the winter.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay