Nutrient/pH Program

Soil pH problems can have detrimental effects on the establishment of Taxus, boxwood and other ornamentals. Soil pH affects the solubility of plant nutrients, for example at high or low pH many nutrients may become insoluble and thus unavailable to the plant. The symptoms start as yellowing foliage if left untreated plants will fail to grow in spring. Highly acidic soils can also negatively impact the activity of microorganisms that break down organic matter, reducing soil nutrient concentrations even further. These plants will thrive in soil with a pH of 6.0 to 6.5. The large volume of precipitation we receive in the Lower Mainland causes soils to become acidic (low pH). An application of lime in the spring is recommended to improve soil pH around these plants

In conjunction with the addition of lime to the soil we also recommend applying a specially formulated fertilizer to make valuable nutrients immediately available to promote optimal growth.