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Gardening on limestone
Hello
I've been trying to find out about gardening on limestone. Especially vegetables and fruit. Anyone here do that? Hints - tips - experiences please :~)) -- Jenny (Rotterdam the Netherlands) remove the squirrel to reply |
#2
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Gardening on limestone
In article , Martin
writes On Sun, 12 Mar 2006 12:09:02 +0100, "JennyC" wrote: Hello I've been trying to find out about gardening on limestone. Especially vegetables and fruit. Anyone here do that? Hints - tips - experiences please :~)) AFAIR Franz did. Search the archives? Would that be like in the Chilterns Jenny? Do you mean chalk or bedrock? Janet -- Janet Tweedy Dalmatian Telegraph http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk |
#3
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Gardening on limestone
"Janet Tweedy" wrote in message ... In article , Martin writes On Sun, 12 Mar 2006 12:09:02 +0100, "JennyC" wrote: Hello I've been trying to find out about gardening on limestone. Especially vegetables and fruit. Anyone here do that? Hints - tips - experiences please :~)) AFAIR Franz did. Search the archives? Would that be like in the Chilterns Jenny? Do you mean chalk or bedrock? Janet Tweedy I don't really know the Chilterns.....And I must admit that I don't know the difference between chalk and limestone. Actually I didn't know they were 'related' !! Nick ???? But I don't think its chalk in the area of the Dordogne I mean. Found this about the Dordogne ......... 'the limestone is lacustrine'. The limestone in the area is full of fossilised sea creatures..... http://jersey.uoregon.edu/~mstrick/A...oQuerry50.html has a good explanation and I'm sure I mean limestone :~)) Jenny |
#4
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Gardening on limestone
In article ,
JennyC wrote: I don't really know the Chilterns.....And I must admit that I don't know the difference between chalk and limestone. Actually I didn't know they were 'related' !! Nick ???? Why me? :-) The answer is that all were formed from the shells of diatoms, shellfish etc. If it was merely deposited and the water driven it became chalk. Exposed to heat and pressure, it became limestone. Exposed to more, it became marble. Chalk is a sedimentary 'rock'; the others are metamorphic rocks. From a gardener's viewpoint, the only useful difference is between Dolomitic limestone, which contains a high proportion of magnesium and ordinary limestone, which is almost entirely calcium carbonate. The former is much less hostile to calcifuge plants. In practice, the answer is shovel on plenty of shit, compost etc. and don't bother with the real lime haters. Otherwise, most things will grow. The downs are not exactly barren :-) Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
#5
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Gardening on limestone
"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message ... In article , JennyC wrote: I don't really know the Chilterns.....And I must admit that I don't know the difference between chalk and limestone. Actually I didn't know they were 'related' !! Nick ???? Why me? :-) Because I regard you as a font of all knowlegd on stuff like this (and most other things too!) :~)) The answer is that all were formed from the shells of diatoms, shellfish etc. If it was merely deposited and the water driven it became chalk. Exposed to heat and pressure, it became limestone. Exposed to more, it became marble. Chalk is a sedimentary 'rock'; the others are metamorphic rocks. From a gardener's viewpoint, the only useful difference is between Dolomitic limestone, which contains a high proportion of magnesium and ordinary limestone, which is almost entirely calcium carbonate. The former is much less hostile to calcifuge plants. In practice, the answer is shovel on plenty of shit, compost etc. Ha - its 50yrds from the nearest road access, so I's better strat eating my spinach every day........ and don't bother with the real lime haters. I'm thinking yuccas, day lillies, willowing grasses, vebascums, gladioli.......... Otherwise, most things will grow. The downs are not exactly barren :-) Regards, Nick Maclaren. Jenny |
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Gardening on limestone
In article ,
JennyC wrote: Because I regard you as a font of all knowlegd on stuff like this (and most other things too!) :~)) I suppose that I am a bit of a mental pack-rat :-) In practice, the answer is shovel on plenty of shit, compost etc. Ha - its 50yrds from the nearest road access, so I's better strat eating my spinach every day........ Yup. and don't bother with the real lime haters. I'm thinking yuccas, day lillies, willowing grasses, vebascums, gladioli.......... I think that they are OK. Most books say if a plant doesn't like lime. Most clematis, for example, positively like it. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
#7
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Gardening on limestone
On Sun, 12 Mar 2006 21:25:52 +0100
"JennyC" wrote: "Nick Maclaren" wrote in message ... In article , JennyC wrote: [] and don't bother with the real lime haters. I'm thinking yuccas, day lillies, willowing grasses, vebascums, gladioli.......... Otherwise, most things will grow. The downs are not exactly barren :-) And neither is the Dordogne! There are lots of interesting field maple cultivars that will thrive. So, Jenny: does this mean you've signed??? -E -- Emery Davis You can reply to ecom by removing the well known companies |
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Gardening on limestone
On 12/3/06 20:21, in article , "Nick
Maclaren" wrote: In article , JennyC wrote: I don't really know the Chilterns.....And I must admit that I don't know the difference between chalk and limestone. Actually I didn't know they were 'related' !! Nick ???? Why me? :-) The answer is that all were formed from the shells of diatoms, shellfish etc.snip It's both interesting and strange to go to Les Baux in Provence and see limpet shells in this very high, mountainous village. -- Sacha www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon ) |
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Gardening on limestone
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#10
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Gardening on limestone
Sacha wrote:
[...] I'll take your word for that. Even though I did meet Sherpa Tenzing on a week end visit to a friend in Surrey. Makes me wish I'd thought to ask him more searching questions! Les Baux is wonderful, IMO and I loved it but I really was fascinated by these darned limpet shells. They were in so many bits of rock, steps, walls etc. Hey! But wow! That is one seriously enviable name to be able to drop! Tell me, I've always wondered how good Tenzing Norgay's English was. -- Mike. |
#11
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Gardening on limestone
In message , JennyC
writes I don't really know the Chilterns.....And I must admit that I don't know the difference between chalk and limestone. Actually I didn't know they were 'related' !! Nick ???? But I don't think its chalk in the area of the Dordogne I mean. Found this about the Dordogne ......... 'the limestone is lacustrine'. The limestone in the area is full of fossilised sea creatures..... http://jersey.uoregon.edu/~mstrick/A...oQuerry50.html has a good explanation and I'm sure I mean limestone :~)) Jenny Chalk is a form of limestone. I'd have to hit the petrological textbooks to remind myself what the petrological definition of chalk is. (The stratigraphic definition (The Chalk) refers to the widespread fine-grained limestone of Upper Cretaceous age found inter alia in England (South Down, North Downs, Salisbury Plain (IIRC), Chilterns, East Anglian Heights, Lincolnshire Wolds, Yorkshire Wolds) and northeastern France.) -- Stewart Robert Hinsley http://www.malvaceae.info |
#12
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Gardening on limestone
Nick Maclaren writes
In article , JennyC wrote: I don't really know the Chilterns.....And I must admit that I don't know the difference between chalk and limestone. Actually I didn't know they were 'related' !! Nick ???? Why me? :-) The answer is that all were formed from the shells of diatoms, shellfish etc. If it was merely deposited and the water driven it became chalk. Exposed to heat and pressure, it became limestone. Exposed to more, it became marble. Chalk is a sedimentary 'rock'; the others are metamorphic rocks. Limestone is sedimentary. I think the difference between chalk and limestone is the organisms which go to make it up. -- Kay |
#13
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Gardening on limestone
In article , JennyC
writes and don't bother with the real lime haters. I'm thinking yuccas, day lillies, willowing grasses, vebascums, gladioli.......... Viburnum do very well Jenny, I try not to fight alkaline conditions, you end up dispirited ........ Janet -- Janet Tweedy Dalmatian Telegraph http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk |
#14
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Gardening on limestone
"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message ... In article , JennyC wrote: I'm thinking yuccas, day lillies, willowing grasses, vebascums, gladioli.......... I think that they are OK. Most books say if a plant doesn't like lime. Most clematis, for example, positively like it. Regards, Nick Maclaren. Right !! I didn't know that :~) I've never had much luck with them before Jenny |
#15
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Gardening on limestone
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