Acid Loving Plants + Organic Gardening

Organic Gardening for Acid Loving Plants

Acid loving plants tend to grow well in wet climates, where plenty of rain helps surface elements leach into the soil.  They don’t grow as well in drier climates because the soil is usually not as rich in iron, sulfur and manganese.  These are the elements that rhododendrons, azaleas, hydrangeas and other acid-loving plants need. If your acid-loving plants look sickly, have yellow leaves and are dropping leaves despite organic gardening, they probably need soil amendments to lower the pH, or make the soil more acid. If your blue hydrangea is turning purple or pink, your soil is definitely not acid enough.

If you’re in doubt, you can test your soil to find out if it is acid enough or not.  If it is not, there are additives you can purchase to make it more acid, like aluminum sulfate.  It’s wise, however, to be wary of chemical soil additives because they do not have all the micronutrients your plant needs, and the nutrients may not be in a form that the plants can use.  For example, acid-loving plants need iron, and there is no iron in aluminum sulfate.

If you are into organic gardening, there are several things you can give your acid-loving plants that are a more complete soil amendment.  Most compost tends to be on the acid side, and adding a few inches of compost may take care of the plant’s needs.

Pine needles and leaves are more acid than grass clippings.  Mulching acid-loving plants with pine needles and leaves, or putting a lot of pine needles or leaves in your compost will help your acid-loving plants.

Tea leaves are also acidic.  They can either be added to compost—tea bag and all—or the tea can be sprinkled directly on the soil around the acid-loving plants. 

There are also some organic gardening practices you should avoid with acid-loving plants.  Sometimes people add ash to their compost or soil.  Ask raises the pH of soil, so it should not be used with acid-loving plants.

Acid-loving plants do better with organic gardening because the nutrients they need are more readily available in mulch, compost and even manure than in commercial fertilizers.