I have just finished putting some camellias in a half/half mix of john innes
number 3 and ericeceous compost (hoping that this is the best ratio of mix )
and I have been advised to use plenty of acid type feed.

After going to the local garden centre I'm shocked to see how *expensive*
acid feed it is for just a small packet.

I think there is iron in it so is there any way to make up a cheap acid feed
my self?

For instance use some ordinary phostogen mixed with rusty nails or brillo
pads? Thanks.

Chris Hogg writes
On Tue, 5 May 2009 10:08:35 +0100, "john martin"
wrote:

I have just finished putting some camellias in a half/half mix of john innes
number 3 and ericeceous compost (hoping that this is the best ratio of mix )
and I have been advised to use plenty of acid type feed.

After going to the local garden centre I'm shocked to see how *expensive*
acid feed it is for just a small packet.

I think there is iron in it so is there any way to make up a cheap acid feed
my self?

For instance use some ordinary phostogen mixed with rusty nails or brillo
pads? Thanks.

Not really. The problem with alkaline soil and mixes such as JI3 is
that they contain lime, which makes them alkaline. Iron, and to a
lesser extent manganese, is not soluble in alkaline soil when added in
a simple form such as you suggest.

The sequestrene and similar fertilisers contain iron bound up with other
non-iron ions, which allows the plant to absorb the complex, and make
use of the iron.

--
Kay

"john martin" wrote in message
...
I have just finished putting some camellias in a half/half mix of
john innes number 3 and ericeceous compost (hoping that this is the
best ratio of mix ) and I have been advised to use plenty of acid
type feed.

After going to the local garden centre I'm shocked to see how
*expensive* acid feed it is for just a small packet.

I think there is iron in it so is there any way to make up a cheap
acid feed my self?

For instance use some ordinary phostogen mixed with rusty nails or
brillo pads? Thanks.

Great post John.

I use a home brew compost made from coffee grounds and pine needles.
It gets very acidic i.e. ph 5.5 or less and works OK on blueberry
bushes which need a strongly acid soil. It's possible to mulch the
plant base with these ingredients and let the composting take place
right there. My only advice if trying the compost-in-situ technique
would be don't let the coffee ground 'cake' too much. keep them well
mixed with something else like paper, grass clippings, anything really
and spread widely around the plant. You can soak the paper in a weak
solution of citric or nitric acid which also produces the desired
effect. Both are readily available as crystals very cheaply for
descaling purposes and are safe to handle. The combined mush smells
horrible (stale coffee especially) and takes a while to get going as a
compost. Nettle and Yarrow encourage the micro-organisms - nettle
alone will do a great job if you don't have yarrow nearby. A little
diluted honey or even sticky brown sugar like muscavado will also
help - in tiny amounts.

I'd love to hear from others about home grown solutions to this one.

TJ

I have just finished putting some camellias in a half/half mix of john
innes number 3 and ericeceous compost (hoping that this is the best ratio
of mix ) and I have been advised to use plenty of acid type feed.

After going to the local garden centre I'm shocked to see how *expensive*
acid feed it is for just a small packet.

I think there is iron in it so is there any way to make up a cheap acid
feed my self?

For instance use some ordinary phostogen mixed with rusty nails or brillo
pads? Thanks.

Great post John.

I use a home brew compost made from coffee grounds and pine needles. It
gets very acidic i.e. ph 5.5 or less and works OK on blueberry bushes
which need a strongly acid soil. It's possible to mulch the plant base
with these ingredients and let the composting take place right there. My
only advice if trying the compost-in-situ technique would be don't let the
coffee ground 'cake' too much. keep them well mixed with something else
like paper, grass clippings, anything really and spread widely around the
plant. You can soak the paper in a weak solution of citric or nitric acid
which also produces the desired effect. Both are readily available as
crystals very cheaply for descaling purposes and are safe to handle. The
combined mush smells horrible (stale coffee especially) and takes a while
to get going as a compost. Nettle and Yarrow encourage the
micro-organisms - nettle alone will do a great job if you don't have
yarrow nearby. A little diluted honey or even sticky brown sugar like
muscavado will also help - in tiny amounts.

I'd love to hear from others about home grown solutions to this one.

TJ


A comment about general feed, I keep a couple of dollops of horse manure in
a bucket of water and that makes a good feed :-)

On May 12, 12:16*pm, "Kate Morgan" wrote:
I have just finished putting some camellias in a half/half mix of john
innes number 3 and ericeceous compost (hoping that this is the best ratio
of mix ) and I have been advised to use plenty of acid type feed.

After going to the local garden centre I'm shocked to see how *expensive*
acid feed it is for just a small packet.

I think there is iron in it so is there any way to make up a cheap acid
feed my self?

For instance use some ordinary phostogen mixed with rusty nails or brillo
pads? * Thanks.

Great post John.

I use a home brew compost made from coffee grounds and pine needles. It
gets very acidic i.e. ph 5.5 or less and works OK on blueberry bushes
which need a strongly acid soil. It's possible to mulch the plant base
with these ingredients and let the composting take place right there. My
only advice if trying the compost-in-situ technique would be don't let the
coffee ground 'cake' too much. keep them well mixed with something else
like paper, grass clippings, anything really and spread widely around the
plant. You can soak the paper in a weak solution of citric or nitric acid
which also produces the desired effect. Both are readily available as
crystals very cheaply for descaling purposes and are safe to handle. The
combined mush smells horrible (stale coffee especially) and takes a while
to get going as a compost. Nettle and Yarrow encourage the
micro-organisms - nettle alone will do a great job if you don't have
yarrow nearby. A little diluted honey or even sticky brown sugar like
muscavado will also help - in tiny amounts.

I'd love to hear from others about home grown solutions to this one.

TJ

A comment about general feed, I keep a couple of dollops of horse manure in
a bucket of water and that makes a good feed :-)

Do you keep it in the fridge?

Des

A comment about general feed, I keep a couple of dollops of horse manure
in
a bucket of water and that makes a good feed :-)

Do you keep it in the fridge?

Des

haha :-)

Traditionally didn't you bury your old razor blades around the base of acid loving plants?

Granity wrote:
john martin;842865 Wrote:
and I have been advised to use plenty of acid type feed.

After going to the local garden centre I'm shocked to see how
*expensive*
acid feed it is for just a small packet.

I think there is iron in it so is there any way to make up a cheap acid
feed
my self?

For instance use some ordinary phostogen mixed with rusty nails or
brillo
pads? Thanks.

Traditionally didn't you bury your old razor blades around the base of
acid loving plants?




I thought the razor blades were used when planting spuds, for instant
chips! :-)

--
Please reply to group,emails to designated
address are never read.

Nettle and Yarrow encourage the micro-organisms - nettle
alone will do a great job if you don't have yarrow nearby.

Achillea is Yarrow, but prettier. Easy from seed.

R.