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Help with ericacious compost

imagePlease help. I have a raised bed and half is ericacious compost and half is "normal "compost. My ericacious has no worms at all and wonder if this is why it is difficult to fork as it seems full of roots. How would I improve the soil so its more malliable like normal soil is? Im growing Lillies in it but cant get my trowel in to plant them.

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  • sotongeoffsotongeoff Posts: 9,802

    Sorry- but I don't get what you mean-ericaceous is a term for acid soil-why would you have 50% of that  and 50% "normal"-I am puzzled-then you say full of roots-how? where did it come from?

    At the moment you problem is unclear and somewhat confusing-perhaps if you could explain a bit more???

  • Sorry sotongeoff Ill explain- my bed is rectandular split horizontal accross the middle. This allows me to grow normal plants at the back half but allows me to grow planrs in acidic(ericacious) soil like lillies and azalieas and a pieris. Roots probably from 2 camilias and a pieris.Hope that explains it more. But thanks for actually replying- its great. Thanks.image

  • sotongeoffsotongeoff Posts: 9,802

    It now makes sense and Christoper is right about the soil-I have never worried about what soil lillies have grown in by the way-they seem happy in anything.

     

     

  • Well Christopher2 - The idea Is to keep growing both  types of soil type plants- ericacious in the front half and normal plants in the back half. The two soils dont mix and havent had problems growing plants in their own areas. My question was how to and with what should I improve my ericacious half as at present i find not pliable like normal soil stopping me from digging a hole to plant a bulb. I thought this may be due to the fact that there doesnt seem to be any worms in the ericacious part so to imporove the soil was the ask. I dont want to mix the areas together- as this only allows one type of plants to be planted. Yes I bought both types of compost when I initally set up the beds 4 years ago. The re are lillies in the front acid soil and I am wanting to add to them. image

  • Thanks Sotongeoff for your reply. I just wanted to know what to improve ericacious (acid) soil with. and would adding worms help the pliablity of the soil?image

  • sotongeoffsotongeoff Posts: 9,802

    The worms will need something to feed on-I would invest in some well rotted horse manure add that to the soil- and work it in as best you can-the worms will move in and do the rest of the work for you

    Then retest the soil at some point to see if you have still got the right balance

    I get what you are trying to do now

  • Oh great. Thanks for that christopher2. I love love love lillies. I only found out from experts at shows like Harrogate and Southport that lillies are better in acid soil. I hadnt done that in previous years but I always do now- hence my acid bed for them. Yes I do have home made compost but didnt think it would be ok for acid soil but to use on normal soil. Shoudnt i use leaf mould for the acid beds?

  • Sotongeoff is it ok to put manure on an acid soil??? I thought again this was only for normal soil.? Only using leafmould for acid??

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