ERICA'S NOTEBOOK
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    • ERICA, ERICA'S TREE (and a short history of Guiding) - June 14, 2018
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Soil

Erica's Original Notes
Soil is made from:
a) grist, which comes from broken-down and weathered rock; and
b) humus, decayed animal and vegetable matter; it acts as a sponge to hold moisture.

Clay: by-product of the ceaseless warfare between weather and the rocks of earth's crust; clay particles are flat, overlap and interlock which accounts for their obstinate composition, only being relieved by the incorporation of sand or humus.

Lime: a soil conditioner liberating calcium for the plant's use.

Mineral traces: magic substances which are brought up from the sub-soil by 'weeds.'

Nitrogen: mineral that promotes leaf and stem growth; giving too much usually results in the lack of flowers.

pH+/-: pH 7 is neutral; below is acid and above is alkaline; pH6-6.5 is when the greatest number of nutrients are available to the plant.

Phosphate: used by the plant for the development of the root system; it is especially good for root vegetables.

Potash: useful for the general good health of plants. The name goes back to the time that it was used in the making of soap and was obtained by the leaching or running of water through the ashes of burnt wood, the residue being boiled in open kettles; hence the word 'ashes from pots,' or 'potash.'

Reclamation: of land in Holland was done by incorporating gypsum (calcium sulphate dihydrate) which displaced the salinity (sodium chloride) without aggravating the pH.

Seaweed: marvellous weed-free enricher of soil, being equal in nitrogen content to that of manure, having twice the amount of potash, but less phosphate and rich in iodine.

NOTES Updated 2013 (RP):

pH:  This is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. In chemical terms, it is a measure of the activity of the hydrogen ion in solution and is written as pH. Danish chemist Søren Peder Lauritz Sørensen first introduced the concept of pH at the Carlsberg Laboratory in 1909. According to the Carlsberg Foundation pH stands for 'power of hydrogen.' Other suggestions include this coming from other languages - German potenz (meaning 'power'), French puissance (also meaning 'power', based on the fact that the Carlsberg Laboratory was French-speaking) and others refer to 'potential.'

Gardeners are particularly interested in the pH of their soil because it determines whether certain plants thrive or suffer. It is possible to change soil pH with certain additives, but the results don’t last. The better option is to choose plants that like the pH of your soil. Rhododendron (including Azalea), Camellia, Erica, Gardenia, Magnolia and Vaccinium species are well-known acid loving plants. Lilacs (Syringa), Daphne, Forsythia and Clematis species are plants of choice for alkaline soils.

Hydrangeas are well known for their ability to have flowers of different colours in acid or alkaline soils. H.macrophylla, can be blue, red, pink, light purple, or dark purple. An acidic soil (pH below 6) will usually produce flower colour closer to blue, whereas an alkaline soil (pH above 6) will produce flowers more pink. This is caused by a color change of the flower pigments in the presence of aluminum. Acidity assists plants in taking up more aluminum from the soil resulting in blue pigments.

Different soil types are associated with different locations. Rain washes away elements such as calcium and magnesium from the soil and the soil becomes more acidic. Areas that experience high total rainfall such as our city and surrounds, tends to have acidic soil. Areas with a base of chalk and limestone have alkaline soils.

To find out a soil pH precisely it is possible to purchase inexpensive soil testing kits.

Understanding  pH and testing soil 
​
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  • Home
  • Updates
    • What's New
    • Curator Updates
    • Garden Stories >
      • Garden Story Index
    • Self-Guided Tours
    • Walks & Talks >
      • Walks and Talks 2023
      • Walks and Talks 2022
      • Walks -Talks 2021 & Zoom Tips
    • PDFs of Updates, Tours, & Talks >
      • Self-guided Tours (PDF)
      • Gardener Walks (PDF)
  • Plant IDs
    • ID By Flower Color >
      • Red Flowers
      • Pink Flowers
      • Orange Flowers
      • Yellow Flowers
      • Green Flowers
      • Blue Flowers
      • Purple Flowers
      • White Flowers
    • ID By Type >
      • Annuals
      • Berries-Fruits-Nuts
      • Bulbs, Corms, Rhizomes, Tubers >
        • Bulbs
        • Corms
        • Rhizomes
        • Tubers
      • Ferns
      • Grasses
      • Medicinal Plants
      • Native Plants
      • Perennials >
        • Peonies
        • Salvias
      • Rhododendrons >
        • Rhodendron Erica Notes
      • Shrubs >
        • Calycanthus
        • Hydrangeas >
          • Hydrangea Background
        • Peonies >
          • Peonies-Overview
        • Rhododendrons
        • Roses >
          • Rose Background
      • Trees >
        • Conifers >
          • Cypress
          • Firs
          • Pines
        • Deciduous Trees >
          • Dogwoods
          • Ginkgos
          • Magnolias
          • Witch Hazels
        • Native Trees
        • Tree of the Month
  • In the Garden
    • Map and Collection Lists
    • Art in the Garden >
      • Symposium & Exhibitions
    • Building and Grounds >
      • Bridges
      • Formal Rose Garden Hardscape and Art
      • Grotto Area & Black Garden
      • Korean Pavilion
      • Maze
    • Gardener Assignments
    • Collections >
      • Ash Collection
      • Camellia Collection
      • Rhododendron Walk
    • Gardens >
      • Gardens A-D >
        • Alma VanDusen Garden
        • Backyard Bird Garden
        • Bentall Garden
        • Black Garden
        • Canadian Heritage Garden >
          • Bees
          • Canadian Heritage Orchard
        • Cascadia Garden
        • Cherry Grove
        • Chilean Garden
      • Gardens E-H >
        • Eastern North America Garden
        • Fern Dell
        • Formal Rose Garden
        • Fragrance Garden
        • Heather Garden
        • Herb Garden
        • Heritage Rose Garden
      • Gardens I-P >
        • Laburnum Walk
        • Livingstone Lake
        • Meconopsis Dell
        • Meditation Garden
        • Mediterranean Garden
        • Ornamental Grasses
        • Perennial Garden
      • Gardens R-Z >
        • Rhododendron Walk
        • Sino-Himayalan Region
        • South African Garden
        • Southern Hemisphere
        • Stone Garden
        • Vegetable Garden
        • Woodland Garden
    • Garden History >
      • History photos
  • Science
    • Animals & Insects >
      • Birds
      • Butterflies and Moths
      • Insect Friends
      • Small Creatures
    • Buds
    • Colour and Vision
    • Dynamic Symmetry - Fibonacci Spirals
    • Flowers
    • Fruit
    • Germination
    • Habitats and Environments
    • Hormones
    • Leaves
    • Life on Earth
    • Light, Energy, and Rainbows
    • Plant Calendars
    • Pollination
    • Pollen
    • Roots
    • Scents
    • Seeds
    • Soil
    • Stems
    • Vascular Plants
    • Web of Interdependence
    • Weeds
  • Bloedel
  • Search
  • About
    • ERICA, ERICA'S TREE (and a short history of Guiding) - June 14, 2018
  • Contact