I have 2 small lilac shrubs and want to feed them some lime, my problem is that
I only need a couple handfulls and the stores only sell a 50lb bag. I don't
want to have to hold onto the bag for ever. Is there an alternative to lime
that I can use. The lilac are in there second season of no blooms. I live in
zone 5

A pipe gives a wise man time to think and a dumb man something to stick in his
mouth.

Hey how about crushed tums or rolaids?

A pipe gives a wise man time to think and a dumb man something to stick in his
mouth.

I highly doubt that liming the soil underneath the lilacs is going to solve
your problem. Lilacs supposedly prefer neutral soil, but they do fine just
about any condition. The plants are still small, as you noted, and might not be
old enough to produce flowers yet. There is also the possiblitiy that the
flower buds died over the winter from the cold. This dosent happen often but
it is possible. If you have been pruning them, there is also the chance that
you cut the flower buds off both years. I would get a soil test done before
you use any sort of pH altering material.
Toad

Is there an alternative to lime
that I can use.

Ash from the burning of hardwoods

On 09 May 2003 14:26:55 GMT, (SBHCOM) wrote in part:

Is there an alternative to lime that I can use.

Bonemeal.

Harold
(who knows absolutely nothing about lilacs)

Is there an alternative to lime that I can use.


I doubt that pH is your problem. However should you happen to use eggs, crushed
eggshells have the same active ingredient (Calcium Carbonate) and are lot
cheaper than TUMS or ROLAIDS