[Rowan]

Hi

We moved house and got a lovely big garden with a patch we have cleared for veg. However along the back of the patch are laylandei or big conifers and i was told these turn the soil very acidic is this true?

What would be the best crops to grow near to them?

We are lucky enough to have inherited some red/black currant goosberry and raspberry bushes, there is a trellis at the back of them and i want to grow something the other side of the trellis, are there any plants that arn't good next to fruit bushes??

Thanks

[paintedlady]

Should be perfect for blueberries then    I'd have thought outdoor tomatoes, potatoes, celery/celeriac, courgette/marrows/squash and sweetcorn would be fine (that is, most summer fruiting crops).  Perhaps when planting other non-acidic tolerant veg you could add a bit of lime and crushed eggshells to the planting hole?  Why don't you do a pH test on the soil first then you'll know just how bad/not so bad the problem is (you can get cheap kits from garden centres)

As for what to plant next to fruit bushes ... depends how close you are talking.  Fruit bushes in my opinion are considered long-term/investment compared to an annual crop so I wouldn't want to grow anything too close that would rob them of sun, nutrients or water.  If the crop is some distance off, I see no problem of growing whatever you like