OK I know I had a thread somewhere on shrubberies but I think it got archived and I didn't find another one that looked fitting

SO

I have the following plants (and I apologize for bad spelling):
- variegated privet (2)
- golden euonymus (2)
- ligustrum recurvifolum (3)
- japanese holly (1)
- japanese cleyera (1)
- larapetalum (1)
- miniature rosebuse (1)

and as far as I know, they all like acidic soil. They're all relatively healthy, but I can't seem to get the eonymous or the holly to grow. The privet's frickin huge and the others have quadrupled in size from their 1Ga original size. No, haven't tested the soil yet, but I will. When I planted them a couple of years ago I dug out a trench and backfilled with a mix of potting soil and compost, but they're surrounded on all sides by clay so I think that's making the soil go alkaline. Not to mention the grass is going crazy in the beds (this year as compared to the last two) and I hear grass likes alkaline soil. I've been mulching with cypress because I hear ants/termites hate the stuff and so far so good, but I don't know what that does to the pH either. My goal is around 5.5, and if I had to guess, it's probably around 7.5-8 right now as it's this wonderful salty/sandy clay.

My question: how do I make the soil acidic, preferably without buying stuff?

Here's what I've heard of and have available:
- white vinegar (I hear mix 1T to 1Ga and water with it)
- leaf litter (there are woods behind me... oak, maple, poplar, ash, and various nut trees)

... and stuff I've heard of but would have to buy:
- pine straw (I'd rather use the leaf litter)
- sulfur (but tends to cause root burn)
- unused coffee/tea grounds (I have Nestea if that counts )

9/22/2006 10:31:56 AM

peat, pine bark soil amendments

and just decomposing shit really

i aint never heard of adding vinegar, i personally wouldnt do it

the thing about using shit you just find outside is fungus, viruses and disease, you can treat for fungus but you cant for disease and viruses...so youd be alot better off shellin out the cash and buying the amendments

[Edited on September 22, 2006 at 10:46 AM. Reason : d]

9/22/2006 10:43:47 AM

just add hydrogen ions to it, silly

9/22/2006 2:59:20 PM

There is a kind of miracle gro especially for azaleas. It will make your soil more acidic.

9/22/2006 3:02:34 PM

Urinate

9/22/2006 3:21:11 PM

Im pretty sure that if you mulch with pine needles, the ending result ( years later) will be more acidic soil.

9/22/2006 3:33:37 PM

^yep. go rake somebody's yard with a lot of pine straw.

[Edited on September 22, 2006 at 3:59 PM. Reason : ']

9/22/2006 3:59:32 PM

^ already on that - got some pine bark that's been mulched really really tiny too. However my water's alkaline, so I'm hoping someone also has some hints on that side ... I've heard sulfur rocks so when the water runs over it they erode some, but that doesn't seem healthy for the plants

9/22/2006 4:27:17 PM

steam treat that shit befor you add it to soil

bout 160 for 30 mins

9/22/2006 7:18:32 PM

Quote :

"- white vinegar (I hear mix 1T to 1Ga and water with it)"

proved very effective for an project of mine

9/23/2006 1:13:11 AM

we use pine nuggets. That helps our azalea's, rhody's, hydrangea's etc.

9/23/2006 1:26:42 AM

I'd get a soil test first. You might be surprised at the pH. Although the surface horizon may be Sandy, there's a good possibilty there is an increase in clay below (in the root zone). Most of the clays of NC tend to be on the acidic side due to the felsic parent material of the soils. However, if you live in the Coastal Plain, then pretty much forget what I said b/c you probably one standing on several feet of unconsolidated sediment.

9/23/2006 9:42:58 AM

like he said- take some soil samples and get them tested. if you start guessing, you'll probably never get the pH where you want it.

9/23/2006 7:42:18 PM

its probbably closer to your target than you think, nc soils are acidic to begin with and most fertilizers add to the acidity. the first word in soil science is get a sample done, its free from the NCDA.

9/24/2006 12:55:00 PM

Quote :

"I'd get a soil test first. You might be surprised at the pH. Although the surface horizon may be Sandy, there's a good possibilty there is an increase in clay below (in the root zone). Most of the clays of NC tend to be on the acidic side due to the felsic parent material of the soils. However, if you live in the Coastal Plain, then pretty much forget what I said b/c you probably one standing on several feet of unconsolidated sediment."

spot on

9/24/2006 1:38:06 PM

actually i the coastal plain the sediments are not so unconsolidated, we have rich organic soils round my way

9/24/2006 2:40:09 PM

coastal plain soils vary widely. Where I live along the western side of the Cape Fear river, the soil tends to be loams and sandy loams. Just on the other side of the river, you find extremely sandy soils with extremely different amounts of organic matter depending on where you go. some places are more acidic than others, but there are few if any places in the coastal plain of nc that do not require lime from time to time, unless you are raising something like blueberries.

9/24/2006 5:39:03 PM

When i was looking up to bring my gardenias back to life i found a site that said that you can add used coffee grouns to the soil to make it acidic. Of course, if you're using a lot of soil that might be unrealstic.

9/26/2006 11:12:17 AM

^interesting

9/26/2006 11:19:22 AM