Gardening – Growing Acid Loving Plants in an Alkaline Soil Area

Acid loving plants provide some of the best flowers and plants for the garden. Unfortunately for those gardening in a alkaline or heavy clay soil, planting such specimens in the natural soil available, is likely to result in the death or sub-performance of a specimen.

Fortunately there are a number of solutions available ranging from, the creation of a raised bed with an acidic soil, to the planting up of a container based garden.

Methods of growing acid loving plants in an alkaline soil area

Altering the PH of a soil – This may be seen as the most labour intensive and possibly the most futile ways of trying to grow acid loving plants in an alkaline soil. A soil’s PH may be lowered (made more acidic) by a number of means. One method is to incorporate an ericaceous soil into the desired site; ericaceous soils are naturally low in PH and as such will lower the overall PH of the soil.

The second method of altering the PH of the soil is to incorporate organic matter into the soil; acidic material will work best. As such one should consider various manures or acidic woodland materials such as pine needles. The problem is however, one of scale. One must consider that such attempts will soon be overturned by the shear volume of the naturally present soil which will leach back into the altered mix over time.

Raised beds – The construction of a raised bed may be seen as one practical solution as to the growing of acidic plants in an alkaline soil area. The raised bed in its self is essentially the ultimate experiment in container gardening and allows the gardener to control the soil type on a large scale.

Container gardening – Containers represent the ultimate in control for the gardener; containers allow a gardener to control the exact kind of soil provided and the level of watering given to a plant. The drawbacks of such a method are that container gardening is a relatively labour intensive one. A gardener will have to maintain a strict regime of watering and feeding, especially during the summer months if healthy specimens are to be maintained.

What plants will grow in an acidic soil?

There are a wide range of plants which will appreciate an acidic soil. Many of the specimens listed below will simply not tolerate alkaline conditions in any shape or form.

Acidic fruits – Many genres within the berry family appreciate an acidic soil, berries of note for the acidic soil include blueberries, bilberries and redcurrants. Blueberries can be grown with considerable success in a container, if an acidic soil is provided.

Heathers and Heaths – Heathers and heaths provide year round colour in the garden and a range of colours of both foliage and flowers. In addition, if the right species are put together a gardener may have an almost continuous display of flowers throughout the year. For the gardener practising on an alkaline soil, the raised bed may present the best option for these specimens.

Blue Flowers – Blue flowering plants have a particular affinity with acidic soils; the Himalayan Blue Poppy with thrive best on a moderately acidic soil. On the other hand, whilst a hydrangea will thrive in any soil, the gardener can only expect to obtain deep blue flowers in an acidic soil.

Rhododendrons and Azaleas – These are two other common garden flowers which must have an acidic soil in order to prosper. Again these flowers may be best left to the raised bed rather than that of a container.

Bog Plants – Many bogs plants including carnivorous plants such as the Venus Flytrap appreciate an acidic soil. This also gives the gardener the opportunity to introduce something usual to the garden.

Read more gardening articles:

• Creating Ground Cover
• Cat Deterrents
• Raised Beds

Sources:

Brickell, C. 2006. RHS Essential garden planning and construction. Mitchell Beazley.

Brooks, J. 2001. Garden design. Dorling Kindersley.