Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 Aug 11, 2008 8:10 am I have planted a row of hedge plants around a garden bed .. which sits next to the concrete driveway.
I remember hearing once (not sure where) that the concrete can effect plants so you need to counteract the concrete effect with ..... something? After all this time watching Gardening Australia you'd think I could remember but I can't. Anybody know what products need to be applied to balance the soil and help these little plants along. they are looking pretty sick .... hanging in there but I think I'll lose them if I don't get onto it soon. Re: Plants and concrete 2Aug 11, 2008 10:02 am Lime will be leaching out of your driveway. It appears you have already planted something there. What sort of plants are they? name, would help to tell you what to do. You can add sulphate of iron to the soil, (be careful it stains everything black), however it is a short term solution as the concrete will be reacting with your soil for many months or even years. Long term solution is to plant something that does not mind lime, and to improve/replace your soil with acidic soil, something like azalea/camelia/gardenia mix containing quiet a bit of pine bark which is acidic.
Maggie Re: Plants and concrete 3Aug 19, 2008 11:29 pm you may find it to be something else. One of my jobs is doing irrigation for a mate who lays new footpaths. They seem to have little consequence on the plants surrounding them. Lawns recover well. Spend your focus on organic material around the plants and thick layers of greener mulches. In the more acidic or clay soils lime is of a benefit in some cases. Feed the soil, the plants will improve and take the new drive in their stride. Nitrogen rich mulches like sugar cane mulch or lupin mulch and peastraw will help. Or the greener mulches. Lots of blood and bone and sheep or cow poo too Seasol, Powerfeed and Molasses will help too I would lay money on a strong improvement then. I wouldn't get overly bogged down in pHs etc. Eastern Melbourne soil is miles ahead of our garbage soil and we manage pretty well. I have never owned pH test kit. If the pH is out of whack the soil just doesn't smell so good. A good soil with an almost sweet smell will more often than not have a fairly neutral pH. It will also have some other qualities too such as being friable. I know of some well known Horts such as John Colwill that also say don't get to bogged down in balancing out the pH of the soil. These workshops can be a benefit to tell you more on the subject and are put on by various WA government depts. http://www.greatgardens.info/main.php Re: Plants and concrete 4Aug 20, 2008 12:30 am Oh goodness me, Fu Manchu, you sound like Pete Cundall, "sweet soil, good enough to eat" , but you are absolutely right, it is sweet smelling if it is healthy, a little bit like healthy people. Your advice is a mark of a good hort professional.
Maggie Re: Plants and concrete 5Aug 21, 2008 7:55 am Thanks. I have started a Seasol weekly treatment and will add some manure and blood and bone and see how it goes. I'll be pretty disappointed if they don't make it!
Thanks again for the advice. Re: Plants and concrete 6Aug 21, 2008 8:35 pm to really kick it along, try a product called "Olsens green bio" this gives the soil microbes and micro ecology a kick along and has done some incredible things to gardens I have used it in. Not a product to notice instant results but months will pass and you will think, bugger me it does do something Re: Plants and concrete 7Aug 21, 2008 8:41 pm Amber ….not the “trim my hedge” plants!!!
The only plants that have a big problem with concrete are Roses and Azaleas. But Fu Manchu has given you very good advise!!!! Good luck! How’s the house going……you must have worn it out by now! Internal and External Building and Colour Consultant Online - Worldwide http://www.denovoconcepts.com Re: Plants and concrete 8Aug 22, 2008 7:50 am My hedge is very trim thanks
No ... seriously, same type of plants and when I did the little garden bed around the letterbox and side of driveway, I thought it would be nice to have a little hedge there. I have given it a little bit of loving over the last couple of weeks and I did notice last night that the leaves have picked up a bit and are now a lovely green, rather than a very dull shade of brown!! So I'll keep up the love and see how it goes. The house is going great .... have ordered the furniture for the formal lounge room and we had our new holland blind installed in the family room (instead of curtains). It looks absolutely fantastic. It now gives me more of an excuse to hurry up and update the family room couch as the blue one, firstly doesn't match anything in that room as nothing is blue, and it's about 14 years old so starting to get very uncomfortable!!! Backyard is coming along VERY slowly but I have been assured by husband that it will be done by christmas. Jury is out on that one!! Re: Plants and concrete 9Aug 24, 2008 11:30 pm nothing worse than bits hanging out on a hedge. Makes it look all messy. Re: Plants and concrete 10Aug 24, 2008 11:55 pm Fu Manchu nothing worse than bits hanging out on a hedge. Makes it look all messy. Not again!!!!!!!!!!! Re: Plants and concrete 11Aug 25, 2008 12:33 am Nothing that a.....OK Matt I'll stop there..... mmm....donuts Homer Simpson 1956- Links: Site Costs Ready Reckoner | H1 Addiction Medical Advice | Château TDL: The Backyard Murraya could be a great option for you. It creates a great tall screening hedge but doesn't drop fruit like lily pilly. The flowers smell divine. 2 10247 Yes, unless you are in a low intensity rainfall area or the area is protected from rain. Do you have access to NCC Part 2 or can you download it? I can email you a copy… 10 12515 |