Heather

I have just picked up a couple of pots of Heather. I have read that they need acidic soil. I used to have heather in my rockery. To the best of my knowledge that was just ordinary top soil. How will it take in multipurpose compost?

G.

 

Well, I can grow the winter/ spring flowering ones in my garden and my soil is not acid.
Dont think I'd use MPC for long term potting, if that is what you intend?

Best to have some soil in the mix, maybe some added ericaceous JI.

 

I'm a bit stuck then. The best I can do is to pot them in ericaceous compost .

G.

 

Ericaceous JI is pretty difficult to find in my experience.
But it is out there.

 

I've got a Spring flowering heather that I planted in cheap multi purpose compost this spring. It' appears fine. I want to plant it into the garden but no space yet. The compost has peat in it. I didn't know Heather's were fussy about their soil types .

 

If I remember correctly summer flowering Heather require acidic PH conditions but Winter / Spring aren't to fussed . The winter flowering group is Erica which should tolerate neutral to slightly alkaline conditions.

MPC can be used @Jack Sparrow for a temporary solution say for over the winter into spring but if its a permanent planting john innes / soil based compost would be the way to go.

 

My Erica carnea does well in heavy, rather alkaline clay soil, just coming into flower and is an excellent bee-friendly plant. It's Calluna that's far less versatile and needs well-drained acid soil, I think. Surely standard ericaceous compost would do the trick? I didn't think Callunas grew in very fertile, moisture-retentive soil in the wild because my native British wildflower book mentions heaths, moors and mature conifer woodland as natural habitats of Calluna vulgaris. What do the labels on your heathers say @Jack Sparrow?

Nick

 

I dont think heathers require a rich soil, as @Nikolaos says they tend to grow in pretty poor soils naturally.
I just tend to think a JI compost, with soil, tends to be better long term, in pots, as opposed to an ericaceous peat based one.

 

Having said that, even if they do show signs of chlorosis it's simple enough to water once a year with sequestered iron to sort the problem out.

 

I see what you mean, thanks for elaborating @pete.

Nick

 

@Nikolaos They came from a discount centre. They didn't have labels. They are in compost for now. If they survive the winter I might try to find them a permanent home in the garden. If need be, I have plenty of spare soil that I can mix into a pot.

G.

 

Thanks to everyone who commented. I really appreciate it.

G.