It's happened to all of us. We buy a beautiful plant, knowing that we have that perfect spot in the garden, where it will thrive and bring us joy for many years! We carefully transport it home and lovingly plant it, give it a bit of water and fertiliser, and then stand back and wait for it to spread the joy.
But, alas, nothing happens. Despite all of our love and attention it just will not grow, or grows very slowly, or the leaves just pale off.
What I have I done wrong? you ask.
Well, there could be many reasons why the poor plant isn't thriving.
Is it too wet, too dry, too sunny, too shady? Is it the wrong plant for my area?
It could be any of these reasons or none or them.
One very important factor in the plant growing, is the PH of the soil. In other words, is the soil to acidic or too alkaline or just right.
The PH reading of the soil in your garden will determine how well plants will grow in that section. The majority of plants are happy in a neutral or slightly acidic soil.On a PH scale, 7 is considered neutral, with 6 to 6.5 usually acceptable. Some plants, like azaleas, camellias and to lesser extent gardenias, are happy in a reasonably acidic soil, say around 5.
A very small number of plants will tolerate an alkaline reading of around 7.5, but if your soil is outside these readings, it's time to take action.
Ok, I hear you cry from the bottom of the garden "How can I fix this?"
Well, the first thing to do is find out what the PH reading is. Any good nursery will test your soil's PH for free and can then advise on a remedy.
We offer free soil testing here at Bamboo Down Under! Simply call us to book an 5 minute appointment on (07) 5573 1844. Appointments are available Monday - Friday, from 9am - 5pm
Alternatively, PH testing kits are available to buy, but remember that PH reading levels can vary throughout your garden, so always test different areas of soil.
There's easy fixes for soil that is too alkaline or acidic. For acidic soil some Dolomite works well and for soil that is too alkaline, some sulphur works well.
If you are looking to get your soil tested call us to book an 5 minute appointment on (07) 5573 1844 or drop into our Retail Garden Centre in Wongawallan Gold Coast, QLD with some soil samples.
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