We are all living in very different parts of the world, (not that this matters, sometimes just short distances apart the soil can be very different) and I have been thinking about what conditions we find in our gardens..
Mine here in Switzerland is a greyish brown very heavy clay, but mineral rich and not too sticky.. Very good for a lot of things, but flowers want much adding fibre and hummus, and some veggies want sand..
ossietoosalisbury, Wiltshire, England UKApr 15, 2009
my ground is also very heavy as are the allotments at the end of the village but the heathers i planted last year look as if they have grown quite well and at the time i was told they would only be a succses in light sand this evening i have planted some flower seeds called stocks aparently these are highly scented along with a lavender plant time will tell ossietoo
I had planted some Heather here, and they withered and some died.. I was told they love very acidic ,moist soil,..- oh well.
(I used to live in Wiltshire, in Limpley Stoke on the edge of Bath. I know Salisbury quite well because we used to go see the crop circles or Stone Henge of course..)
As I already posted, the soil here is dark brown, almost black, and really fertile. Stuff grows like crazy, mostly of course stuff you don't want. Last year my thistles were like a forest, impossible to walk through them, 6 or 7 feet tall and the thorns really sharp and painful. This year I'm trying to dig them out with a pickaxe but it's a mammoth task as I have a lot of land - over an acre.
sundance4ulichfield, Staffordshire, England UKApr 16, 2009
GreenTassels, You could try to big into the soil, Pine needles conifure type leaves. Into the soil where you plant the Heather. As they are acidic. very little grows under pines. and you will be adding humas at the same time. very slow rotting agreed but at the same time do leach slowly.
sundance4u: GreenTassels, You could try to big into the soil, Pine needles conifure type leaves. Into the soil where you plant the Heather. As they are acidic. very little grows under pines. and you will be adding humas at the same time. very slow rotting agreed but at the same time do leach slowly.
Oh really, that works? Well I have an enormous pine tree out the back, and I have to shovel the damned needles away, as they are everywhere.. heaps and mounds of it..
So I'll try that when I restart that Heather area. Thanks!
Butcher559Whangarei, Northland New ZealandJan 12, 2023
My soil is black top soil for about the first 10 inches then it turns to a thin greyish pipe clay layer, then into orange clay.. It's always great growing in the first season then soil conditioners are needed for following seasons..
What kind of soil do you have? (11)
Mine here in Switzerland is a greyish brown very heavy clay, but mineral rich and not too sticky..
Very good for a lot of things, but flowers want much adding fibre and hummus, and some veggies want sand..
But all in all very easy..
How about yours?
(I used to live in Wiltshire, in Limpley Stoke on the edge of Bath. I know Salisbury quite well because we used to go see the crop circles or Stone Henge of course..)
I got quite nice soil. Just got to be very careful of not watering it with the tap water - too much Lime in it. Only rain water works here.
And we`re on an old glacier field, so the soil is FULL of round rocks that keep working their way up to the surface!
Anyway, nice to find this Group, and hope to read lots of interesting things here.
You could try to big into the soil, Pine needles conifure type leaves. Into the soil where you plant the Heather.
As they are acidic. very little grows under pines.
and you will be adding humas at the same time. very slow rotting
agreed but at the same time do leach slowly.
You could try to big into the soil, Pine needles conifure type leaves. Into the soil where you plant the Heather.
As they are acidic. very little grows under pines.
and you will be adding humas at the same time. very slow rotting
agreed but at the same time do leach slowly.
Oh really, that works? Well I have an enormous pine tree out the back, and I have to shovel the damned needles away, as they are everywhere.. heaps and mounds of it..
So I'll try that when I restart that Heather area. Thanks!
It's always great growing in the first season then soil conditioners are needed for following seasons..