Re: Acid-loving plants

I'd like to know how to increase soil acidity too.  Doesn't peat moss help?

I just bought two clethra (Ruby Spicy --lovely sweet strong fragrance, sun
to part shade, z4-9) which like acidic soil.

Didn't know hosta were particularly acid-loving!  Are they really??  Mine
get great humus/organic draining soil, but nothing particularly acidic.
American Horticultural Soc A-Z Encyclopedia of Plants doesn't mention
this....

Diann

> -----Original Message-----
> From: PRIMROSES [s*@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU]On Behalf Of
> Bobbi Diehl
> Sent: Monday, July 31, 2000 8:52 PM
> To: shadegardens@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
> Subject: [SG] Acid-loving plants
>
>
> Can anyone help with instructions on preparing a shadegarden dedicated to
> acid-loving plants?
>
> The house we recently bought has a rather large yard with some good trees
> and sufficient space for specialized gardens. On the north side of a row
> of huge arborvitaes that run along the back of the property, my husband
> wants to make an "acid garden". This would consist of a Carolina
> silverbell tree, various azaleas and rhododendrons, a fothergilla--maybe a
> few heaths and heathers if they can tolerate the amount of shade that is
> there, and maybe blueberry bushes, unless they need more sun. What else?
> I'm sure there are other plants that would be happy in this type of
> environment and would love to have suggestions. Trees, shrubs, even
> acid-loving annuals and herbaceous perennials would be possibilities. I
> know that hostas tend to be acid lovers. Are there hosta CVs that would
> particularly like this type of environment?
>
> The area is higher than the house, gently sloping down, and is currently
> lawn and under that, yellow clay which is probably mildly alkaline. (And
> yes, I do intend to have the soil tested just to confirm my hunch about
> the pH.) We propose stripping off the sod and adding topsoil, amending it
> to increase the acidity. We'd work in some pine bark mulch, copper
> sulphate, maybe Starbucks coffee grounds, whatever, to lower the pH. The
> idea would be that with the soil pretty much adjusted, we wouldn't need to
> keep watering with Mir-Acid and such. Is this a viable idea? Has anyone
> else succeeded with this type of garden? Thanks!
>
>
> Bobbi Diehl
> Bloomington, IN
> zone 5/6
>
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