| Common Name | Optimum pH Range |
|---|---|
| Trees and Shrubs | |
| Azalea | 4.5-6.0 |
| Basswood | 6.0-7.5 |
| Beautybush | 6.0-7.5 |
Simply so, how do you lower the pH of azaleas?
Home gardeners can lower their soil pH by adding sphagnum peat moss to the soil. (The pH of sphagnum peat moss generally ranges from 3.0 to 4.5.) When planting azaleas and rhododendrons, dig a wide, shallow hole. Backfill with a mixture that is half soil and half moistened sphagnum peat moss.
One may also ask, how do you grow azaleas in alkaline soil? On soils approaching pH 7.0 (i.e. neutral) the most reliable method is to grow rhododendrons on raised, well-drained beds. For successful cultivation a minimum depth of 30cm (1ft) of ericaceous compost or soil is needed above a layer of isolating lime free drainage material such as sharp sand.
Also question is, do azaleas like acidic soil?
Azaleas do well in moist, acid (pH 5.5 or so), well-drained soil with lots of organic matter, such as peat, compost, chopped leaves, or ground bark. They won’t grow in heavy clay, pure sand, or alkaline soil. If your existing soil is too bad to fix, plant azaleas in raised beds or containers.
Do rhododendrons like lime?
Rhododendrons require regular feeding, but their demand for food is specific. They do not like lime and if you have limechip on your driveways or pathways, lime can leach into the garden and cause them to turn up their toes.