This is obviously quite a scientific question. We installed a fairly large number of plants in t backyard about 3.5 years ago. I met with the homeowners today to look at their frontyard projects. While there, we were looking at the condition of the backyard plants. Most of the plants look to be almost the exact same size as the day we installed them. All of the shrubs are on a drip irrigation system, which the homeowners have dutifully monitored. We even installed a 1100 gallon rain harvest system that they used during the water restriction times.
On the sunny side of the yard, we installed 3 Knock-Out roses, which they say have never been pruned. The roses are less than 3 feet tall.
In the shady areas there are groupings of azaleas, anise, Shasta viburnum, fothergilla, buckeye, cephalotaxus, oakleaf hydrangeas, daphne, and a few other plants.
The oakleafs are the happiest of the plants, but still fairly small after 3.5 years. 100% of the anise are dead. While there with
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them, I pulled up photos of their installation taken at completion of the install, and there was almost no change in size.
The homeowners then mentioned that they had soil test results in a file. When she brought them out, one section that was tested in the middle of the backyard showed a pH of 4.8. I know that certain plants enjoy acidic soils, but 4.8 is the lowest that I have ever seen.
Would this very low pH be a possible reason for the very poor performance of their investment in their landscape? As we do with all of our clients, I want to figure out what is going on and help to correct any issues so that their backyard will flourish and grow.
Thanks for any advice or ideas.
I also just remembered the we noticed the Shasta Viburnum and Itea are all dead. They said they were living last year before the leaves dropped but I see no sign of even a single leaf bud forming on any of the shrubs. ...»
It is always tough to be presented with a situation that is new and to have no good answer. But it does make me want to do more research and figure out the problem.
Having never dealt with a soil pH this low, any ideas on how to best raise it? We cannot till ...»
They have a chemical maintenance company that treats the lawns, and has looked at the shrubs before, but they never did anything to adjust the pH of the soil either.
Today, I am going to take 3 more soil samples from different locations in the yard and send those in for more current results from exact locations. But the homeowners are still wanting to know how to best improve the conditions. Thanks for the help.
A word of caution: my dad ruined my mother's veggie garden by adding lime. Don't amend soil unless you know how and how much!