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Old 29-03-2005, 01:33 AM
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Default alkaline soil in a bag

bought a new hydrangea which flowers blue in acid soils and pink in alkaline. would like the pink so i'm planting in a pot.

had a quick look but couldn't see any alkaline bags of soil @ garden centre.

any ideas?
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Old 29-03-2005, 09:58 AM
Charlie Pridham
 
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"Tiger303" wrote in message
...

bought a new hydrangea which flowers blue in acid soils and pink in
alkaline. would like the pink so i'm planting in a pot.

had a quick look but couldn't see any alkaline bags of soil @ garden
centre.

any ideas?


--
Tiger303

bit of ground limestone around the plant (you may even get away with a
limestone chippings mulch if you are not very acid), or you could use
horticultural lime (should find it at the garden centre)

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)


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Old 29-03-2005, 07:53 PM
Chris Hogg
 
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On Mon, 28 Mar 2005 23:33:24 +0000, Tiger303
wrote:


bought a new hydrangea which flowers blue in acid soils and pink in
alkaline. would like the pink so i'm planting in a pot.

had a quick look but couldn't see any alkaline bags of soil @ garden
centre.

any ideas?


Unless you specifically buy ericaceous compost, all JI and probably
most 'general purpose' composts are slightly alkaline anyway.

But as Charlie says, work a bit of 'lime'* into the mix before you
plant and you'll be OK.

*At the risk of re-igniting an old argument, much 'lime' sold in
garden centres is actually ground limestone. Does the same job but
slower, and doesn't carry the same Health&Safety caveats.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net
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