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How do you change the soil pH of small potted houseplants?

Thank you! ☺

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  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 29,656
    Pot them in the compost they need.   Don't use hard tap water if they need ericaceous compost.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • Compost as in the mulch of rotting fruit and greens etc? Asking because that definition and compost just being used as another term for soil seems to be quite interchangeable 😫
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 29,656
    Compost as in planting media sold as loam based or multi purpose and available as normal or ericaceous for lime haters.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • Ah, thank you, that clears it up 😊 How will I know which compost is suitable for my particular plant? From what i've seen, the bags dont say what the pH is.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 29,656
    edited April 2021
    Simple.   If it doesn't say ericaceous chances are it has some lime in it.

    My personal preference is for a loam based John Innes formula as they have better drainage and don't clag up like multi-purpose or you could do a mix.  Both forms have ericaceous versions.  They will say ericaceous and/or that they are suitable for heathers, rhodos and azaleas.

    If your tap water is hard make sure you use strained rainwater or distilled water for watering.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • Ah okay. So I could mix some of my usual potting soil that I'm currently using with some of the ericaceous soil? I guess then the only thing would be to consider how much to put in. I have Gerbera daisies that are in pH 7 and ideally would be in about 6.3. Theyve started having yellowing leaves, and I know its not overwatering. My first thing to change was going to be to pot them in a slightly more acidic medium and see if that clears it up before I end up adding amendments and things.
  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,466
    You don't need to be too precious for most things. My only experience of growing Gerberas is some pathetiic specimens I took pity on on the deadordying stand at a local outlet.
    They were watered, repotted in bog standard multipurpose. They grew well and flowered for me and survived another year or 2, though I lost all but one this last brutal winter.
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