Re: Rhododendrons
- To:
- Subject: Re: Rhododendrons
- From: S* W*
- Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 20:37:37 -0000
Dear Janis,
pH is certainly the key to Rhodo success and I'm sorry that I took it for
granted. In Cornwall the pH varies, but is mostly neutral to acid, depending
upon where you are and whether the builders have messed it up. Our base rock
is mostly granite which generally gives an acid soil. I wouldn't say that
many places in Cornwall are acid enough to grow Blueberries without adding
additional peat to the soil, for example.
We also have quite a thin soil level in much of Cornwall, as the moorland
areas will testify, and the poorer, thinner soil also tends to be acid. That
combined with the climate makes for good Rhodo country. Often gardens with
neutral soil will grow Rhodos quite happily and Rhodo ponticum will grow
virtually anywhere, generally where you don't want it!
having said that we have poor soil, many of the valleys, where all the good
soil ends up, have almost tropical/rain forest like gardens with tree ferns,
bananas and hedychiums growing happily all year round. Whilst we haven't got
any mountains, we can certainly offer a wide range of growing conditions in
a small county.
regards,
Tracy Wilson, Cornwall. UK
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