How To Choose The Right Plants For Your Garden’s Soil And Climate
One of the most common gardening mistakes is choosing a plant based on its attractive appearance and smell without considering the soil and the climate beforehand. If you notice your plants aren’t thriving as expected, despite giving them proper care and maintenance, you might be choosing the wrong plants to start with. To avoid this mistake, we have put together this article about choosing the right plants for your garden’s soil and climate.
Does Your Soil pH Matter?
Soil is measured in pH to determine if it is either acidic, neutral or alkaline. The best way to determine the pH of your soil is to buy a pH testing kit from your local gardening centre. This will give you the most accurate reading. Soil pH can range between 3.5 (very acidic) to 8.5 (very alkaline). The best pH for most plants to thrive in without any issues is a reading of 6.5. Luckily, most soils in the UK are neutral, with a pH of 7, or slightly lower.
Acid-loving plants include magnolia trees, camellias, and hydrangeas. On the other hand, lavender, geraniums, and ceanothus prefer more alkaline soil. The good news is you can still grow acid-loving and alkaline-loving plants, no matter the soil pH in your garden. Lots of plants can be grown in containers or pots, where it is easier to control the soil pH level. Raised beds and containers can be filled with compost and kept acidic with the addition of sulphur. For more acidic soils, you can raise the pH with the addition of lime.
Does The Climate Affect Your Plants?
As well as the pH of your soil, the changing climate is another factor to consider when choosing the right plants for your garden. British weather has always been unpredictable, with temperatures always seeming on the rise and the potential for extreme weather conditions such as droughts and flooding, there can be a significant toll taken on your plants.
However, there are certain plants that can tolerate these changing conditions. For instance, drought-tolerant plants such as lavender and rock rose can survive with little water. Choose UK native plants such as foxglove and primrose, as they can cope with the usual weather conditions better than non-native plants. Planting tall hedges or shrubs around the perimeter of your garden will provide less tolerant plants with wind protection and shelter from the scorching sun.
To summarise, the key to gardening success is understanding both the soil in the ground and the climate around us. It will be worth choosing plants according to your soil pH while keeping climate change in mind. This will make your life easier than trying to grow the wrong type of plant. If you are in doubt, it’s best to get gardening advice from a professional.
Gardening Services From Abingdon’s
At Abingdon’s Complete Garden Services, we’re super passionate about all things plants. We specialise in helping our clients to make the most of their garden spaces with the help of our landscaping design and garden maintenance services. If you are unsure about what plants to choose for your garden, please get in touch with us. We would be happy to help with all your gardening needs.