alkaline soil

[hawthorns]

what grows best in alkaline soil and what doesnt ?

[Flummery]

Brassicas like it alkaline - cranberries, blueberries, rhododenrons like it acid. They really sulk in and alkaline soil. Mine is fairly alkaline and most veg do well here (except swede - but I think that's my personal ineptitude!)

[Snadger]

As Flum say brassicas usually do really well in alkaline soil. Tatties are supposed to prefer acid soil but if you can put up with a bit of scabbing which just rubs off , it shouldn't be a problem. I think legumes like a bit of alkalinity as well, so all in all you've got it made and should get a bumper harvest!

[JennieAtkinson]

My soil veers towards the alkaline Hawthorns and I grow great cabbages. As Snadger says, potatoes tend to be a bit scabby, but it does rub off, although I grew Orla First Earlies this year and they were the cleanest potatoe I've ever grown. Carrots do well as do parsnips and peas. Not so great with other vegetables but I think that is more to do with where I live than the soil!

Alot of flowers won't grow, particularly lupins, which I love and I have a bit of bother with trees of the pine sort. Only one managed it so far.

Good luck!

[Nicos]

what grows best in alkaline soil and what doesnt ?

Everything which doesn't grow well in mine!!! ( Peat soil!!)

[JennieAtkinson]

Everything which doesn't grow well in mine!!! ( Peat soil!!)

Hmmmm mines peat, but still alkaline ?

[momol]

As Flum say brassicas usually do really well in alkaline soil. Tatties are supposed to prefer acid soil but if you can put up with a bit of scabbing which just rubs off , it shouldn't be a problem. I think legumes like a bit of alkalinity as well, so all in all you've got it made and should get a bumper harvest!

Plus, Tomatoes , aubergines & chili they can live in soil with the range of alkaline to neutral, radishes ( Ooops a brassica too)... I must be getting sleepy..

Momol

[Nicos]

Hmmmm mines peat, but still alkaline ?

Well I never!!!!

[Snadger]

Just thinking out loud here................. I imagine the alkalinity/acidity of a soil is goverened by the Ph of the rocks that the soil comes from? Peat is partly decomposed organic material on the surface and maybe extremes of either acidity or alkainity can slow down the decomposition process and keep it as peat?

I know that most of the moorland resevoirs and lakes I fish in are acid but one of them for some reason is alkaline. The surrounding soil and lake looks no different but the resevoir has a healthy stock of wild brown trout! Chalk streams are good trout fishing territory so this must be why?

[JennieAtkinson]

Interesting Snadger. I don't know much about geology but Tingwall lies on the fault line which runs up from the Great Glen in Scotland. The loch at the bottom of our garden is also full of good healthy wild brown trout.

I will ask OH a bit more about the geology, it might explain things a bit more.

[Nicos]

Our lottie is in a peat bog area which is being dug up and sold on ( heard of Lindow Man/Pete in the British Museum?)

There is a seam of white sand in parts and the local area is mainly sandstone with areas of clay.
If your OH is a geologist Jennie- I'll pm the co-ordinates so he can look at it more accurately!

[JennieAtkinson]

No he's not really a geologist Nicos, just knows a bit about the area around us as one of our boys when very young was mad about fossils!