I seem to be finding conflicting information. Does it like full sun, or
partial shade?

I'm thinking of using some kalmia as companion plantings, but am
concerned it will get too much sun at least initially. Also heavy soil
might be a problem.

TIA

-E

On Tue, 26 Jul 2011 20:25:05 +0200, Emery Davis
wrote:

I seem to be finding conflicting information. Does it like full sun, or
partial shade?

I'm thinking of using some kalmia as companion plantings, but am
concerned it will get too much sun at least initially. Also heavy soil
might be a problem.

TIA

-E

A check of my library leads to the conclusion that k.latifolia does
best in shade. One RHS book says is will tolerate full sun as long as
the soil is both acidic and reliably moist (but another RHS book says
it is a plant for dappled shade). So like you, conflicting advice to a
point but all the books seem to agree that it is really a woodland
specimen.

HTH

Cheers
Jake
==============================================
Gardening at the dry end (east) of Swansea Bay
in between reading anything by JRR Tolkien.

www.rivendell.org.uk

On 07/26/2011 11:30 PM, Sacha wrote:
Like a lot of the ericaceae, the ideal is dappled shade, but in our
previous garden we had one in full sun, on acid soil. It did very
well, as did the camellias and rhodos.

Ray always says it will keel over and die if it hears the word "L*I*M*E"
let alone goes anywhere near it!
-

I do have acid soil, just very heavy. Depending on where there is more
or less top soil, and underneath is very heavy acidic clay. (As in, you
can mold it in your hands...) I've tested this, in some places the pH
is as low as 4.2! Not that great for most plants, actually, since most
acid lovers also seem to like well drained soil.

So I think the heaviness and exposure will be my main problems.

-E