Do eastern redcedars really make the soil alkaline?
Heruga (7a Northern NJ)
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
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floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
5 years agoRelated Discussions
Any Oaks that will thrive in Alkaline soil?
Comments (11)Shummard Oak from the Western 1/3 it's native range is indeed quite adaptable to alkaline soils. The problem is that Shummard Oak from the Eastern 2/3 (of course this is a rough estimation) aren't nearly as alkaline tolerant. Shummard Oak in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas grows in limestone derived soils and often times on drier rocky hills, while further East it's more typical of a lower rich bottomlands. I suspect there might be either the beginnings of or already are 2 species, which are morphologically almost indistinguishable, lumped into Shummard Oak. Kind of like Laurel Oak (Quercus laurifolia) and Darlington Oak (Quercus hemisphaerica) were. Only genetic studies can probably prove or disprove this theory of mine. Sooo....if you can find Shummard Oak being sold that is from a tree farm in say Oklahoma(there are several large ones supplying the Wichita and Kansas City markets with Shummard Oak native to Southern Oklahoma and North Texas) being sold by a nursery in Nebraska, it will be alkaline tolerant. Also, Texas Red Oak (Quercus buckleyi) will grow well in alkaline soils. I've seen it growing very well in places like Amarillo, TX, Wichita, KS, and Salina, KS all of which either have alkaline soils or large parts of them have alkaline soils. Gambel Oak(Q. gambelii) also grows well on alkaline soils and is often a smaller growing Oak. Shrub Live Oak (Q. turbinella) also does well on alkaline soils and is more a large semi-evergreen shrub rather than a tree. It's also quite cold hardy, well into zone 5 and it does very well in the Denver area as well as apparently in Kalamzoo, Michigan(Oikos tree crops has said it's doing well for them). If you're interested at all in some exotic Oaks, English Oak(Q. robur), Mongolian Oak(Q. mongolica), Oriental White Oak(Q. aliena)(this and English Oak are both just as alkaline tolerant as Chinquapin Oak), Daimyo Oak(Q. dentata), and I believe Hungarian(sometimes called Italian) Oak(Q. frainetto) do well on alkaline soils. Many of these are usually available through many mail-order nurseries and some are usually available through larger local nurseries. Chinquapin and Bur Oak are both excellent very well adapted Oaks to alkaline soils and harsh great plains conditions(to areas with annual rainfall as low as about 15"(380mm) or so) like the other posters said. In the Southwestern part of it's range, Chinquapin Oak does tend to grow in more sheltered and moister areas, but in the NW part of it's range it's often growing on dry rocky South and West facing slopes as well, so should do well for you no matter where you planted it....See MoreWill yew needles make soil acid/alkaline?
Comments (6)pH is a function of the mineral content of the soil - the base rock it is formed from - and to a lesser degree, the amount of rainfall. Areas with normal to high rainfall tend to have soils on the acidic range; those more arid areas tend to be alkalline. Plants and/or plant parts have little to no bearing on soil pH. It is a garden myth that the soil under conifers is acidic (it may be, but not because of the conifers!) or that pine straw or conifer needles or even used coffee grounds will make soil acidic. There may be a very slight elevation of acidity at the soil surface due to leaching but it is minimal and of no significance. To alter soil pH you need to alter soil chemistry and plants can't do that :-)...See MoreBest choices for alkaline, heavy clay soil and dry climate?
Comments (8)I have the same conditions only a little further north than you. I would never let the Hoopsii be the only blue spruce. Scatter some others around and tie the color theme together. I have 9 different cultivars of P. pungens in my yard and it isn't much bigger than yours. I have a 1/2 acre lot but that includes the horse barn and corral out back. Use one or two globes and perhaps a columnar blue spruce. I love 'St. Mary's Broom'. I have Picea pungens 'The Blues' and love it's weeping form. It will never get too big. I have a pendula out front and a little P. pungens 'Blue Pearl' in the same bed echoing the color theme as an accent. There are also a number of cultivars of P. omorika that won't get too big for your yard. Check out Coenosium Gardens web site for a wealth of ideas for the smaller yard. Much of what you find there will not be found locally though. You should be able to find what I mentioned above except perhaps 'Blue Pearl' or 'The Blues' Picea abies has an almost endless range of sizes and forms. I too covet the Skylands but have been afraid to give it a try with our dry heat in the summer and burning sun. If you try it I would certainly put it in an area where it isn't going to get full sun at least while getting established. I have put a P. abies 'Gold Drift' under a globe willow that will eventually come out -in hopes that it can get established in the shade and then show off it's gold color after the willow comes out. There are also some golden junipers that would work for you. The northern Utah nursery that I have found to have the best selection of the less common conifers is Alpine Gardens in Perry (south of Brigham City) but that is also a little hit and miss....See MoreCan alkaline soil make your tomatoes taste BLAND?
Comments (22)We've got very alkaline soil here (almost off the colour chart with those home kits), to the point where we actually have alkali flats spotted here and there around the countryside. This is the first year we've tried sulphering the garden and doing better with the spring ammendments. This is the most productive garden I think we've ever had! In my experience, no... alkaline soils most definitely do not contribute bland tomatoes. I'm not a lover of sweet toms; I like that super-zingy tomato flavour that starts hurting your tongue if you eat too many. The years where we've just been too busy and I haven't ammended (or had time to weed) the soil at all, we've had to burrow under weeds to find the tomatoes. While the plants and fruit were definitely smaller, the flavour... WOW! This year, we've been good with the water and ammendments, the plants are big and lush and the tomatoes are huge and plentiful, BUT I'm finding that my favourites are certainly not as zingy as in past years. I'm going to have to find a balance between flavour and production....See MoreUser
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
5 years agoUser
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoHeruga (7a Northern NJ)
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5 years agoHeruga (7a Northern NJ)
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5 years agoHeruga (7a Northern NJ)
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5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
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5 years agoHeruga (7a Northern NJ)
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5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoEmbothrium
5 years agoHeruga (7a Northern NJ)
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5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoHeruga (7a Northern NJ)
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)