Everything you need to know about acid-loving plants

When growing acid-loving plants, there really is one main aspect of growing to ensure your acid-loving plants grow well and thrive in your garden. There are many plants that prefer to grow in acidic soil, although the majority of plants you may grow in your garden will prefer neutral to slightly alkaline. In this post, we will help you to know which common garden plants prefer acidic soil and how best to grow and care for them, so you know how to care for them.

• Common acid-loving plants for your garden
• How to know if you have the soil for acid-loving plants 
• Soil amendments for acid-loving plants 
• Growing acid-loving plants in containers 

Common acid-loving plants

With so many beautiful garden plants available, it’s really useful to know which plants prefer acidic soil. There’s no need to be concerned if you do have acidic soil, because your garden can be filled with plants such as Azalea, Rhododendron, Camellia, Magnolia and even Blueberries! Ceanothus, Japanese anemones and Pieris japonica are also great choices for acidic soil. All can even be grown in containers, so if you don’t have acidic soil but love these plants, you can still grow them in the right compost. 

Soil for acid-loving plants 

Soil testing kits can be bought and are really easy to use. Think of them like a science experiment! Some come with receptors that can simply be poked into the soil at various locations around your garden, and the reading will tell you what pH your soil is. Other kits require you to collect some soil, follow the instructions and dip in a pH testing strip. You will then check the colour against a chart. The lower the number, the more acidic the soil. Most plants prefer a pH of between 6 to 8 - unless they are acidic-loving plants.

Soil amendments for acid-loving plants 

If your soil isn’t acidic, you can attempt to amend it by digging in ericaceous compost annually and sometimes more. It is possible to do, but you’ll be working against nature, so if you have alkaline soil, why not grow your acid-loving plants in containers directly in ericaceous compost? This is readily available in the compost area at the garden centre. 

Growing acid-loving plants in containers 

If you are growing in containers, they can be treated just the same as any other pot-grown plant apart from using the ericaceous compost. Top it up as necessary and they can even be mulched with pine needles and even coffee grounds as these are all acid, and your plants will thank you for them.

Visit us in store for a wide range of acid-loving plants and compost to grow them in.