Welcome to the Garden Guru!

If you’re looking for compost for your acid-lovers, remember to check out our shop for great deals on bulk ericaceous compost as well as a range of other specialist compost, topsoils, supplies and more!

We love to see ericaceous plants- nothing stands out like the famously fashionable ericaceous acer or lights up a garden like an azalea. While we here at The Compost Shop have conditioning the soil for your ericaceous plants covered, there’s still a lot to know about these plants. So if you yearn for a striking Japanese maple, a rustic heather or a delicate rhododendron in your garden, read on and discover a whole new dimension to your gardening.

A (non-exhaustive!) list of ericaceous compost questions

1. Why are they called ericaceous plants?

The name comes from Ericaceae, the name for heathers. These are classic acid-loving plants, and can create striking boundaries in your borders. Among this huge & diverse family are some surprising heathers, including some you definitely don’t picture on the typical rolling ‘heathland’- cranberry, blueberry, rhododendrons and azaleas.

2. Can I use ericaceous compost for other plants?

It’s possible, if you mix your compost in with other compost or even lime (to neutralise the pH) and avoid using it for very chalk-loving plants. However the effort would be extensive and the results possibly unreliable. Ultimately compost stores well if kept correctly, so it would be advisable to use the correct compost as far as possible, and keep your erinaceous supply for the plants that benefit from it the most.

3. How can I tell if I have acidic soil?

This is an important question. Using a map such as this one, from Cranfield University, can help, as can surveying the types and health of the plants that grow in your garden already. However the best way to be certain is through a reliable soil pH testing kit bought from a reputable supplier. This should give you a definite picture of your soil condition and if you conduct all three of these steps you’ll be in a good position to judge your soil condition accurately.

4. Can soil pH change?

This would not happen naturally, however there are ways in which humans can adjust the profile of patches of soil to grow particular plants- at the simplest, most localised end of the scale is using something like ericaceous compost to plant a small shrub in a pot or pocket in the ground. On the other end of the scale is perhaps widespread liming of the soil by farms, or adding minerals or chemicals to adjust pH in favour of certain crops. Indeed, over 50 years the government of the Cerrado region of Brazil transformed their agriculture thanks to up to 25 million tonnes of lime per year being spread on fields, boosting soybean production to feed cattle and export.

5. What happens if I plant something in the wrong pH soil?

Many plants show symptoms of poor growth when planted in the wrong soil: the minerals in the soil obstruct healthy uptake of nutrients. Unhealthy, yellow-colour leaves, weak growth and poor root development will make it clear your plants aren’t doing as well as they could. Many people misinterpret these as symptoms of disease, which can unfortunately lead to the same mistakes being made over and over again.

If you have any more questions about ericaceous compost, or the ways in which it can benefit your garden, speak to our team or check out our ericaceous compost information page. 

From small gardens to public spaces, look no further to buy bulk ericaceous compost!

Do you revel in the fiery glow of a Japanese acer? How about the tingle of excitement that comes with plucking the first blueberry of the summer? Does the burst of colour of a healthy azalea light up your garden?

If your spring has only sprung when the delicate beauty of rhododendrons brightens your borders, we salute you! You’re a gardener with high ideals and goals because these plants aren’t your ordinary run-of-the-mill planting project — at least not in most parts of the country. These are acid lovers or lime haters — plants that need a lower soil pH —up to about 7.

Buy bags or bulk ericaceous compost here — we cater to gardens of all sizes

Also known as ericaceous plants, these aren’t the only plants that thrive in low-pH soil — lots of plants need the acid soil to prosper. Plants that have evolved growing wild on forest floors especially tend to prefer acid soil — as dead leaf matter tends to increase acidity, this is their normal growing environment. Many types of heather, and some types of berry-bearing shrub such as winterberry, cranberry, and bilberry (as well as the aforementioned blueberry) benefit from slightly acid soil. There are plenty of other plants too — makes sure to check the preferred soil conditions of plants you hope to buy.

If they’re acid lovers, don’t panic — this just means you have to take an extra step in your planning — because, with the exception of some areas, most of the UK isn’t naturally acidic. You should use a reliable, quality pH testing kit to determine your soil condition before you invest in ericaceous plants. There’s a good chance that your garden won’t be accommodating to these types, and you will need to acidify the soil using ericaceous compost.

At The Compost Shop, we cater to everyone and every size of project, from small back garden borders to parks and public spaces — so whatever your needs, if you’re looking to buy bulk ericaceous compost, we can help!

Check out our shop or contact our team on 0871 971 0988 to learn more about the services we offer. 

With 50L ericaceous compost from just £3.48, our bulk compost deliveries are perfect for any big gardening project. Here’s how we can provide you with the top quality compost you need, for less.

Our bulk compost offers provide as much of our rich, friable compost as you need, even if you’re undertaking a particularly large project or stocking up. Since transport is always a concern with any big order, we take care of it! Our drivers deliver to almost anywhere in the UK- one less thing to worry about when planning your big project. We support gardeners & gardens of all shapes and sizes, from backyard borders and allotments to farms, parks and public gardens, by providing real value, closely-screened quality and support every step of the way- from order to delivery. We always try to ensure the logistics of your order are handled as flexibly, efficiently and as closely centred around your needs as possible. Wherever possible we can offer next day delivery for your order.

Why choose between affordability and quality: per 50L, Ericaceous compost from us saves you money for the highest standard soil improvers

If you have a large project underway in your garden, you need both quality and volume to achieve your green-fingered goals. You need to be sure you’re getting consistent quality even when adapting your plans to the needs of specific plants, soil types, and light or drainage levels. After all, big projects equals big expectations, and only ambitious projects achieve great results, so why compromise? That’s why we offer specialist composts, perfect for those tricky soil conditions, such as our ericaceous compost. 50L of this from The Compost Shop, calculated from our 75L bulk bag orders, works out as just £3.48- a phenomenal saving! Because we deliver bulk orders we can offer you great savings per bag, helping keep costs down. So whether you have a large project requiring top quality bulk compost, or plan on stocking up and saving, visit our shop or speak to a member of our team for more information.