Anyone got a Leucothoe?

[Deleted]

Hi everyone, Happy New Year,
It's about time I got back on here....
I've got two Leucothoe 'Rainbow' plants, one not yet planted out and one in the garden. I've read up a fair bit about them and they like acid soil which the soil in my garden certainly isn't. I've got my work cut out in improving the soil which is very dry anyway plus the flower bed where the Leucothoe is bears the full brunt of coastal winds, which the plant hasn't minded up to now. Question is, I want to do my best for the plant soil wise - if I replant it in ericaceous compost just how much area around the plant would I need to include? And would this work anyway, as eventually the Leucothoe, which is clump forming would work its way out of the acid compost into the normal soil. Or doesn't it work, plonking an acid loving plant in a non-acid soil with some acid compost and fingers crossed?
Any ideas gratefully accepted. I've already planted a Skimmia on the same basis. Unfortunately I don't have the room for an exclusive area for acid loving plants, more's the pity.
Thanks!

Debbie

[Chuckles]

Hi Mrs B Happy new year to you too, nice to see you here again. Can't help with the Leucothoe I'm afraid

[Deleted]

Thanks Chuckles. It's good to be back.

[Deleted]

Hello Mrs. B and welcome back
Mine died unfortunately

They need moist but well drained soil - have a look at this link :)http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/plants/plant_finder/plant_pages/475.shtml

Could you grow it in a container using John Innes ericaceous compost?

[Deleted]

Thanks Rita - could put it in a pot but it's thicket-forming and I'd like to see what it can do. The other one's still in the pot from the Garden Centre(bargain shelf, what else!) and I would say that the one in the garden's growing slighly more than that one. I think it's in the right positon shadewise but it was a bit unceremoniously planted. I've put ericaceous compost around it but unfortunately it's not actually planted in some. I've got some Miracid feretilizer so I think I'll just leave it and see what happens. It seems perfectly happy in the wind which is more than can be said for loads of plants that have gone before it which have had to be relocated.
Thanks again!

[Deleted]

I knew some one a few years ago, who dug an "acid pit" so that they could grow acid loving plants.

[sweetleaf]

"a mix of 3 parts moss peat 1 part loam one part sand and one part sawdust, adding 3 handfuls of bonemeal to each barrowload."

This was in Dr Hessayons book about acidifying a bed for cranberries, he recommended removing the top spit of soil and putting this in its place, if it makes it acidic enough for cranberries it should work for Leucothoe.
He also reccomends mulching with pine needles.

[Deleted]

Thanks for your help Rita and sweetleaf, I'll bear all this in mind. It seems OK at the moment but then again it's not the right time of year to tell how happy it actually is.........
Thanks again

Debbie