Growing Calcifuges on Neutral soil
Although we wholeheartedly support the “right-plant-right-place” philosophy, we still would not want to forego entirely the pleasure provided by the elegant blooms of azaleas and rhododendrons in the spring. Therefore, we have devised a feeding regime which allows calcifuges to thrive in our neutral soil.
This regime consists of three elements. First, we apply a generous mulch of ericaceous compost around the base of the plants in March, followed by a slow-release ericaceous fertilizer, such as “Miracle Gro azalea, camellia & rhododendron”. From April to September, the plants are then fed every 6 weeks with a combination of seaweed and sequestered iron, such as “Maxicrop”.
| Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mulch with ericaceous compost | YES | ||||||
| Feed with slow release ericaceous fertilizer | YES | ||||||
| Feed with seaweed extract plus sequestered iron | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
This regime is not only applied to azaleas and rhododendrons, but also to camellias and hydrangeas.
It is also essential to never let the plants dry out.
