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Acid loving plants

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From: dean miller
City:
hopewell, OH
Hi, I am making a new flower bed under some standing white pines & blue spruce. I am sure the ground would have a high acid content. Just wondering which plants would thrive in such conditions??

 
Extension Message
From: Ron Wolford
Extension Educator, Horticulture
Cook County Unit
rwolford@illinois.edu
Growing anything under white pines and spruces is tough, and acidity is not the only issue. These conifers produce such a fine mass of roots close to the soil surface that anything else trying to grow in that area has to compete for water and nutrients. Thus other plants often tend not to do very well in this environment. You will need to provide good moisture, and fertilize during the establishment period in order to get them off to a good start. Root pruning of the white pine can help, but don't cut out an area larger than 5% of the root zone at any one time.

A partial list of plants preferring acidic soil includes: Amaryllis

Andromeda

Aster

Azalea

Bayberry

Bleeding heart

Blueberry

Camellia

Clethra

Dogwood

Evergreen

Fern

Fir

Gardenia Heath

Heather

Hemlock

Holly

Huckleberry

Hydrangea

Inkberry

Juniper

Leucothoe

Lily-of-the-Valley

Lupine

Magnolia

Marigold Mountain-ash

Mountain-laurel

Oak

Pachysandra

Phlox

Pieris

Pine

Raspberry

Rhododendron

Spruce

Strawberry

White cedar

Woodsorel

 
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