[millymolymandy]

I've just made a bit of a boob! I have ordered 4 apple trees, but wasn't aware that they don't like acidic soil ( have always wondered why they have died, just thought it was too cold) If I keep the area around them well mucked and limed do you think I will get away with it? :oops:

[gobs]

Well, we don't know what your apple trees died off previously, most fruit like the soil a wee bit on the acidic side.

Heavily acidic soils are rare, how do you know yours is one of them?

What can you grow? What are your natural weeds? Is it over-run by heather?
 :?

[millymolymandy]

Most of the land near by is rough pasture very close to the fells, we have just entered a higher leavel stewardship scheme and one of the objectives is heather regeneration. Having said all that, over the years I have mucked and worked my veg garden, and last time I tested it it wasn't acidic at all. But as I have chosen trees with a vigorus  rootstock   (thought they might stand a better chance of suvival) they will be too big to put in there.

[gobs]

Oh well, in that case, as you say, once you bought them, try and suck it, you can try and raise the PH, but it is tricky, you also have to think of doing this over a large area, which will be inhabited by the roots, not just the planting holes.

Additional feeding might work better as it's easier than changing soil ph. Supplementing minerals unavailable to apples in an acidic environment can help more.

Most will struggle under 6 with flowering and fruiting.

In case you can change your order, M22 is one of the root stocks that copes better than others.

[millymolymandy]

Thanks for that, sorry to be so long replying I have been busy and not had time to check out the forum.  :oops: I will just have to see, I think I might do a check on the soil in the area I had planned to plant them, It might not be as bad as I thought.

[Trillium]

If the original area is too acidic, check other possible areas since areas seem to exist in waves rather than great blocks.