When it comes to taking care of your lavender plants, you want to make sure you’re using the right type of compost. After all, you don’t want your plants to suffer from nutrient deficiencies, do you?
So, can you use ericaceous compost for lavender? Let’s find out.
What Is Ericaceous Compost?
Ericaceous compost is made for plants that like acidic soil, such as lavender. Compost is a mix of organic materials such as bark, straw, and leaves, which helps to break down and acidify the soil.
If your soil is already quite acidic, you won’t need to use ericaceous compost. However, if it’s more alkaline, the compost will help to make it more hospitable for your lavender plants.
Is Ericaceous Compost Necessary for Lavender?
You can use any compost for lavender, but ericaceous compost is the best.
Ericaceous compost is designed to meet the specific needs of acid-loving plants like lavender. It contains a higher level of magnesium and phosphorus, which help to keep the pH balance of the soil in check and provide essential nutrients for your lavender plants.
If you’re not able to get your hands on ericaceous compost, don’t worry. You can still grow beautiful lavender plants with any compost as long as you are willing to supplement their diet with a little bit of magnesium and phosphorus.
Just be careful not to overdo it, or you might end up harming your plants instead of helping them.
Benefits of Using Ericaceous Compost for Lavender
Using ericaceous compost for lavender has several benefits such as,
Using ericaceous compost for lavender helps to improve the soil’s structure and drainage. This is important for lavender plants because they need well-drained soil to grow well.
The compost also helps to provide essential nutrients to the plants, which improves their growth and flowering.
Ericaceous compost is specifically formulated for acid-loving plants such as lavender and has a pH of around 5-6, which is ideal for these plants to thrive.
The compost provides necessary nutrients and micronutrients which help prevent waterlogging and root rot.
Furthermore, ericaceous compost helps lower the soil pH, which can be beneficial in areas with alkaline soil.
Using ericaceous compost can result in healthier, stronger, and more vigorous lavender plants with increased flower production and improved overall health.
Methods for Determining the Acidity, Neutrality, or Alkalinity of Your Soil
To determine whether your soil is acidic, neutral, or alkaline, you can use a soil pH test kit. The test kit will typically include a pH meter and soil test strips that change color based on the pH level of the soil.
Simply collect a soil sample from your garden and mix it with water in the provided container, then dip the test strip into the solution and compare the color to the chart included with the kit.
The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral, 0 to 7 being acidic, and 7 to 14 being alkaline.
Alternatives to Ericaceous Compost for Lavender
If you find yourself in a situation where you don’t have access to ericaceous compost for your lavender, there are some alternatives that you can use. One option is to use an all-purpose compost instead.
All-purpose compost is made from a mix of ingredients and provides essential nutrition for your lavender to thrive. Just make sure that it doesn’t contain too much nitrogen, as this could cause the foliage to turn yellow.
You can also try potting the lavender in a soil-less mix, which will provide sufficient drainage and will allow the roots to take up all the nutrients required for growth.
To make sure that the lavender has enough acidity, you can also add some peat moss or coco coir to balance out the pH levels.
How to Prepare and Use Ericaceous Compost
So, you have your ericaceous compost and now you want to put it to good use. Preparing and using your compost is fairly straightforward, but just make sure you follow the steps carefully.
First, you need to mix the compost with other materials such as soil, mulch, and manure — this will provide better drainage, fill in gaps and add nutrients. Mix it all together thoroughly, making sure that it is evenly distributed.
Once the compost is ready to use, spread a thin layer – about 2 inches deep – evenly over the top of your existing soil where you want to plant your lavender.
Cover any bare patches thoroughly but also be careful not to clump too much compost in one area as this can discourage growth.
After spreading the compost over your soil, water it and leave it for a few days before planting your lavender plants into the rich soil.
Tips and Tricks for Growing Lavender with Ericaceous Compost
When it comes to growing lavender with ericaceous compost, there are a few tips and tricks you should know about.
Firstly, you should make sure that the area where your lavender is planted gets plenty of sunlight and does not become waterlogged.
To prevent this, add bark chippings or other organic matter to the soil.
Secondly, be sure to keep the soil moist but don’t let it become too wet.
This could lead to root rot. If you’re unsure whether your lavender is getting enough water, check the moisture levels every few days with a moisture meter.
Finally, when planting lavender in ericaceous compost, it’s important to add some organic plant food each month or two to ensure that the nutrients are kept up.
Organic fertilizers are a great option here as they provide your plants with all the essential minerals needed for healthy growth and flowering.
Conclusion
When it comes to lavender, you want to make sure you’re using soil that is specifically meant for acid-loving plants.
Ericaceous compost is perfect for this, as it is designed to help offset the high alkalinity of many soils.
If you’re not sure whether the compost you have is ericaceous or not, test it by putting a little on your palm and spraying it with water.
If the compost fizzes, it’s ericaceous. If it doesn’t, it’s not, and you’ll need to find a different soil for your lavender plants.
