african violet soil - acid or base?
In an unreferenced rec.gardens post from Feb 28, 1997, "Acid-loving
plants (long)", Frank Monroe's material states that african violets are in the category of plant that thrive in a soil pH of 4.5 to 5.5 That's _very_ acidic. Most formulae I find for african violet soil include lime, which is very caustic (raises pH.) For example, the formula included in the pot by The Violet Pot recommends: 2 quarts peat moss 1 quart vermiculite 1 quart pearlite 1 cup powdered lime 2 cups dehydrated cow manure I was reluctant to include either the manure or the lime as they are both so powerful, and I was concerned I would damage the plants (isn't manure caustic? you can sure smell the ammonia...) What's up with this? tx pc |
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"pc macdonald" wrote in message om... In an unreferenced rec.gardens post from Feb 28, 1997, "Acid-loving plants (long)", Frank Monroe's material states that african violets are in the category of plant that thrive in a soil pH of 4.5 to 5.5 That's _very_ acidic. Most formulae I find for african violet soil include lime, which is very caustic (raises pH.) For example, the formula included in the pot by The Violet Pot recommends: 2 quarts peat moss 1 quart vermiculite 1 quart pearlite 1 cup powdered lime 2 cups dehydrated cow manure I was reluctant to include either the manure or the lime as they are both so powerful, and I was concerned I would damage the plants (isn't manure caustic? you can sure smell the ammonia...) What's up with this? The recommended formulation should be *slightly * acidic - 6.0-6-5 pH. Use equal parts regular houseplant potting soil (never use regular garden soil for containerized or houseplants - too heavy and won't drain freely), perlite and peat. No compost, no lime. pam - gardengal |
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