Aquariums and gardening.
- Thread starter esoxlucius
- Start date
I need to check the ph of my soil in my garden. I have a rhododendron that has yellowing on the leaves, a sign, I believe, that the soil is too neutral/alkaline.
Now I know you can buy soil testing kits but hey, being aquarists we have PH testing kits already available to us.
Is there a hack where I can use my API test kit to test the PH of my soil?
Fishman Dave
Now I know you can buy soil testing kits but hey, being aquarists we have PH testing kits already available to us.
Is there a hack where I can use my API test kit to test the PH of my soil?
Fishman Dave
Last edited:
If you have some ro neutral ph water I would expect to be able to mix your soil in that to test it with the api kit, but not 100% on how much soil would need to mix with how much water.
Again, might find someone has done this online.
Again, might find someone has done this online.
I've just been talking to my neighbour over the garden fence and he has a kit. I tested my soil and, as suspected, it is green on the soil test chart, ie neutral.
The area around my rhododendron and camelia need acidifying a little. They're both doing ok, but ok isn't good enough. I need these two to be thriving if I am going to get good blooms. So I'm going to order some sulphur soil and see how things develop.
I should have done it earlier in the growing season really to enhance my chances of good blooms in the spring/summer next year.
Find a nice nature walk somewhere close and grab yourself a bag full of pine needles as mulch.
Free acidifier.
Free acidifier.
Yes, I've read about pine needles or coffee grounds or water with white vinegar in as other ways of lowering PH. I just opted for the sulphur method. I'll see where it takes me.
I trimmed my green banana (Musa basjoo) this morning and prepared it for the colder months ahead.
I cut all the leaves off at the base close to the stem and I was left with a 4ft pseudo stem. I then cut off the top 18" of pseudo stem. I could see the "spiralling" of green healthy growth in the cross section, which is where the new growth for next year will come from....if it survives!!
I finished up with five little pups in the end, which I was delighted with. I snipped these down to just above ground level.
I covered it with several waterproof bags stuffed with fleece, and then finished it off with a polythene wrap, tightly secured with wire. Stones were laid around the base for extra security.
I will probably unwrap it around the beginning of May next year, once i'm confident the last of the spring frosts have finished.
I cut all the leaves off at the base close to the stem and I was left with a 4ft pseudo stem. I then cut off the top 18" of pseudo stem. I could see the "spiralling" of green healthy growth in the cross section, which is where the new growth for next year will come from....if it survives!!
I finished up with five little pups in the end, which I was delighted with. I snipped these down to just above ground level.
I covered it with several waterproof bags stuffed with fleece, and then finished it off with a polythene wrap, tightly secured with wire. Stones were laid around the base for extra security.
I will probably unwrap it around the beginning of May next year, once i'm confident the last of the spring frosts have finished.
Recently got some new dragonfruit cuttings. Hopefully they’ll root
Whilst I was germinating my mango and avocado seeds I toyed with the idea of doing something with the dragon fruit. They are a tropical fruit which are readily available in the uk supermarkets so I might still try yet. I didn't know that they resemble cactus, I just thought they'd be some kind of tree.
Here’s some I sprouted from a fruit I bought.
They seem to be quite slow growing. I’ve had these sprouted for well over a month now, and only a few are starting to get spikes.
They’re a species of vining, tropical cactus.
How did you get the mangos to sprout! I’ve tried a few times and haven’t sprouted one yet.
I’ve given up on avocado
