Persephone wrote:

OK, I got some sulfur today - was going to email him to see if it
was the right kind, but Stephen, I hope you're seeing this?
Product is called "Sulfur Dust", by Lilly Miller. 90% sulfur, 10%
inert ingredients.

What's confusing to me is that it's sold as a fungicide/insecticide.
"For use on roses, grapes, citrus fruits, berries,nuts, vegetables,
flowers, shrubs, trees. Controls powdery mildew, rust, scab, mites."

Doesn't say anything about acidifying the soil. Only mention of
flowers is dusting or spraying foliage.

They said I could return it if it wasn't the right thing.

Yes, this sulfur is just fine. It may be a WP (Wetable Powder), but in
any case it is powdered sulfur.

So -- can I in fact mix this with the soil of the azalea?

You have to sprinkle it on top of the soil. If you mix it in to the soil
you destroy the shallow roots of the azalea.

It is best to push back the mulch and then sprinkle it on the soil, then
put the mulch back. Obviously you need to have the soil tested and
determine the pH of the soil before you use it. The dosage is:

Present pH = 8 use 5.5 pounds per 100 sq. feet
Present pH = 7.5 use 4.5 pounds per 100 sq. feet
Present pH = 7 use 3.5 pounds per 100 sq. feet
Present pH = 6.5 use 2.5 pounds per 100 sq. feet
Present pH = 6 use 1.0 pound per 100 sq. feet

To convert to 1 square foot, divide by 100. So for every pound on the
chart use 4.5 grams per square foot.

A teaspoon of 90% sulfur contains about 3.5 grams of sulfur.
A tablespoon of 90% sulfur contains about 11 grams of sulfur. So:

Present pH = 8 use 2 tablespoons of 90% sulfur per sq. feet
Present pH = 7.5 use 1 tablespoon & 2 teaspoons of 90% sulfur per sq.
feet
Present pH = 7 use 1 tablespoon & 1 teaspoon of 90% sulfur per sq. feet
Present pH = 6.5 use 1 tablespoons of 90% sulfur per sq. feet
Present pH = 6 use 1 teaspoon of 90% sulfur per sq. feet

Or spray its foliage?

There are chelated iron foliage sprays that can be used temporarily
until the soil pH gets corrected. It takes time for powdered sulfur to
adjust the pH. The sulfur is treating the soil, not the azalea. The
reason you are treating the soil is because an alkaline soil will not
give the azalea the proper nutrients.

The chelated iron foliage spray is a temporary way to get the correct
nutrients to the azalea until the soil gets where it should be.

I know many on this NG are hostile to Miracle-Gro-type products, but
they do make an acid fertilizer which I've never used. Is this
something to consider?

Miracid/Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Azalea Camellia Rhododendron Plant
Food is a water soluble, nitrogen-rich powder and that is a very poor
choice for outdoor azaleas. It is OK for azalea house plants and green
house azaleas.

Miracle Grow does have a dry slow release azalea food:
Miracle-Gro Shake 'n Feed Continuous Release Azalea, Camellia,
Rhododendron Plant Food is a better choice for outdoor azaleas, but it
is plastic coated chemicals.

The best choice is HollyTone. It is mostly organic natural materials
that cater to the modest requirements of azaleas.

Now is not a good time to fertilize except with a chelated iron foliage
spray.

Some chelated iron foliage sprays a

Bonide Liquid Iron
Lilly Miller IronSafe
--
Pardon my spam deterrent; send email to
Visit my Rhododendron and Azalea web pages at:
http://rhodyman.net/rahome.html
Also visit the Rhododendron and Azalea Bookstore at:
http://rhodyman.net/rabooks.html
Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA USA Zone 6

Billy Rose wrote:

Wake up dumb bunny and google "elemental sulfur, soil pH". Why are you
wasting our time?

A wise man or woman once said: 'If you can't say anything nice, don't
say anything.'

Googling "elemental sulfur, soil pH" brings up 645,000 hits which are
mostly useless as are insults.

Googling ' "acidifying soil" azalea ' brings up 124 applicable hits but
doesn't answer the other questions.
--
Pardon my spam deterrent; send email to
Visit my Rhododendron and Azalea web pages at:
http://rhodyman.net/rahome.html
Also visit the Rhododendron and Azalea Bookstore at:
http://rhodyman.net/rabooks.html
Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA USA Zone 6

In article ,
Stephen Henning wrote:

Billy Rose wrote:

Wake up dumb bunny and google "elemental sulfur, soil pH". Why are you
wasting our time?

A wise man or woman once said: 'If you can't say anything nice, don't
say anything.'
Bons mots lad, on my word, and gallantly said but compared to the
spectrum of character assassination seen in "wrecked gardens" this one
here, could pass for pillow talk. An elbow in the ribs, if you take my
meanin'. It was only bit of encouragement that, to get off her backside
and to use the grey matter found in that dormant organ between her ears,
but if you want to enable her helplessness and insure her dependancy, so
be it, she's your responsibility. Must 'ave been a bad idea all that
twaddle about givin' fish or teaching fishin', hmmm?

Googling "elemental sulfur, soil pH" brings up 645,000 hits which are
mostly useless as are insults.

Odd thing that. Besides the requisite offer to sell me a book, (I wonder
if the dogs use Google?) the first hit I had from Google was:
http://virtual.clemson.edu/groups/tu...%20Water%20Qua
lity/lowering_soilph_with_eleme.htm

I fancied it a decent read. You obviously have higher standards.
Maybe it's your browser. Give it a good whackin'. That should fix it.


Googling ' "acidifying soil" azalea ' brings up 124 applicable hits but
doesn't answer the other questions.

Haven't seen you around before. Don't read books by any chance do you?
What ever you do, don't mention books to the dogs. It seems to put them
on edge and they can do some frightful howlin' those dogs can. I've had
to close me windows.
--
Billy
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/

On Jul 22, 9:45 am, Billy Rose wrote:
In article ,
Stephen Henning wrote:

Billy Rose wrote:


Haven't seen you around before. Don't read books by any chance do you?
What ever you do, don't mention books to the dogs. It seems to put them
on edge and they can do some frightful howlin' those dogs can. I've had
to close me windows.
--
Billyhttp://angryarab.blogspot.com/

Billy
Stephen Henning has been our resident azalea/rhodie guru for maybe
10 years. He always gives good advice IMO
Emilie

In article .com,
mleblanca wrote:

On Jul 22, 9:45 am, Billy Rose wrote:
In article ,
Stephen Henning wrote:

Billy Rose wrote:


Haven't seen you around before. Don't read books by any chance do you?
What ever you do, don't mention books to the dogs. It seems to put them
on edge and they can do some frightful howlin' those dogs can. I've had
to close me windows.
--
Billyhttp://angryarab.blogspot.com/

Billy
Stephen Henning has been our resident azalea/rhodie guru for maybe
10 years. He always gives good advice IMO
Emilie

Thanks for the FYI.
--
Billy
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/

On Jul 22, 2:45 pm, Billy Rose wrote:
In article .com,



mleblanca wrote:
On Jul 22, 9:45 am, Billy Rose wrote:
In article ,
Stephen Henning wrote:

Billy Rose wrote:

Haven't seen you around before. Don't read books by any chance do you?
What ever you do, don't mention books to the dogs. It seems to put them
on edge and they can do some frightful howlin' those dogs can. I've had
to close me windows.
--
Billyhttp://angryarab.blogspot.com/

Billy
Stephen Henning has been our resident azalea/rhodie guru for maybe
10 years. He always gives good advice IMO
Emilie

Thanks for the FYI.
--
Billyhttp://angryarab.blogspot.com/


Oh you're welcome. Did you get any of that rain storm Wed?
Chico got .27 inch. Didn't do much, except for giving the
peaches a fungal outbreak. We were camping in the mts. and
it rained off and on for 12 hours. Cold----60 degrees-brrr
Emilie
NorCal

In article m,
mleblanca wrote:

On Jul 22, 2:45 pm, Billy Rose wrote:
In article .com,



mleblanca wrote:
On Jul 22, 9:45 am, Billy Rose wrote:
In article ,
Stephen Henning wrote:

Billy Rose wrote:

Haven't seen you around before. Don't read books by any chance do you?
What ever you do, don't mention books to the dogs. It seems to put them
on edge and they can do some frightful howlin' those dogs can. I've had
to close me windows.
--
Billyhttp://angryarab.blogspot.com/

Billy
Stephen Henning has been our resident azalea/rhodie guru for maybe
10 years. He always gives good advice IMO
Emilie

Thanks for the FYI.
--
Billyhttp://angryarab.blogspot.com/


Oh you're welcome. Did you get any of that rain storm Wed?
Chico got .27 inch. Didn't do much, except for giving the
peaches a fungal outbreak. We were camping in the mts. and
it rained off and on for 12 hours. Cold----60 degrees-brrr
Emilie
NorCal

Rain? We got a lot of drip but it's hard to call it rain. We are up to
..08" for the year. 'Course .00" would be more normal. Heard that
California is called the "Golden State" because of all the golden
colored hills from May to November. Works out well for the grapes
though. Don't have to be fightin' rusts, smuts, and mildews all the time.

What you mean you went camping in the mountains? You live in the
mountains or do you mean the Sierra Nevadas, that vestige of the Pacific
subduction zone which strings dormant volcanoes on up in to Oregon and
Washington? Most of California came in with the Pacific Plate until the
San Andreas right slip fault zone by and large put a stop to it (but it
peters out a Point Mendocino). Those mountains? Maybe up to Shasta or
over to Lassen or out to Weaverville and Claire-Engle Lake (the Pomos
call it the boonies)? Camping under the stars, with just you, the wind,
and the brown bears. Fun stuff. Lassen is really nice for spring wild
flowers and the are some granite ponds north of Weaverville to die for
on an Aug. afternoon.
Your climate is more continental than ours. Sounds like you get an
earlier start and finish, than we do here by the coast. Rains usually
trigger the mildew for us in November. All the cucurbits go toes up as
do the last of the 'maters. Then being on the north side of a hill the
Sun ducks down below the tree line on the ridge in early Dec. and pops
back up in Feb. and then were of to the races again.

You havin' any water problems at the north end of the valley?

So where did you go camping?
--
Billy
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/

mleblanca

Oh you're welcome. Did you get any of that rain storm Wed?
Chico got .27 inch. Didn't do much, except for giving the
peaches a fungal outbreak. We were camping in the mts. and
it rained off and on for 12 hours. Cold----60 degrees-brrr
Emilie
NorCal

What you mean you went camping in the mountains? You live in the
mountains or do you mean the Sierra Nevadas,
Well, no to both. Chico is not UP in the mountains, we do have
mountains
on three sides of us, but we are in the N. Sacramento Valley, and it
is
flat. flat, here. And no we didn't go to the Sierra Nevada, we went to
the
Cascades. The Sierra is granitic and ends about at the
Canyon of the N. Fork of the Feather River. And that is where the
Cascade
Range "begins". Cascades are volcanic.Basalt and lava tube caves and
springs.

Maybe up to Shasta or
over to Lassen or out to Weaverville and Claire-Engle Lake (the Pomos
call it the boonies)? Camping under the stars, with just you, the wind,
and the brown bears. Fun stuff. Lassen is really nice for spring wild
flowers and the are some granite ponds north of Weaverville to die for
on an Aug. afternoon.
So we went up south of Lassen National Park to the headwaters of the
N. Fork Feather R. at Domingo Springs. A special spring that flows
all year, with lovely, drinkable spring water! bout a half mile from
the
Pacific Crest Trail. Yes there were wildflowers and falls and creeks
and bears, too. Found a nice bear poop up in the rocks above the
campground. Just us and the bears, chickarees, and many, many,
birds. Elev 5060'
( (Lassen 'spring' wildflowers usually bloom in mid July. One
year it was the end of August, and there were spring and summer
and fall flowers all together at the same time.)

Your climate is more continental than ours. Sounds like you get an
earlier start and finish, than we do here by the coast.
This July rain was rather unusual, mostly we have no rain from end of
May until Almond harvest. It seems to rain quite often just as soon
as the trees have been 'shook'. Mid Sept? Usually no frost until
Dec. About 25 inches rain is average.We had 20 degrees last winter,
first time in several years.
The 60 deg. was unusual too, it has been in the 90s in the valley,
high 80s in mts

You havin' any water problems at the north end of the valley?
Not yet. The reservoirs were quite full from the 2005-6 winter rains
of 43 inches. They are getting low now. Below average rain last winter
Especially Oroville.
However if, no, not if, WHEN all of this development is built and
the population grows, it WILL be a problem

So where did you go camping? Long answer to a short question.....
--
Got to go I am missing Miss Marple!!!!
Emilie

mleblanca expounded:

Got to go I am missing Miss Marple!!!!

Oooh, original? What channel?
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
e-mail address is not checked
******************************

In article ,
Ann wrote:

mleblanca expounded:

Got to go I am missing Miss Marple!!!!

Oooh, original? What channel?

I gewahlt.
--
Billy
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/

On Jul 23, 5:50 am, Ann wrote:
mleblanca expounded:

Got to go I am missing Miss Marple!!!!

Oooh, original? What channel?
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
e-mail address is not checked
******************************

Hiya Ann
It was Nemesis. I had not seen it.
(Series III) ?
It was on our local PBS Channel (KIXE 9)

Not much gardening here today. 85 at 10am
in the shade on the porch. 95 at 1pm and
still going up.
Emilie