Soil improvement for conifers
By Chrispook
Pest county, near Budapest,
Hungary 
What is the best way to improve light sandy soil for my new conifer bed? My idea was to buy Thija soil that is on sale at supermarket for less than £2 for 50 litres, but my hubby says we will need about 10 bags and it is rather an expensive way to do it. Does anyone have any suggestions? We have our own compost heap but not enough ready at the moment, and lots of other places in the garden where I need to use it.
9 Mar, 2008
Answers
Most conifers will be fine on poor sandy acidic soil, the main requirement will be watering in dry periods for the first couple of years until they get their feet into the ground. It would be better to mix in some organic material to the initial planting hole to help get the root system established.
9 Mar, 2008
How much are you going to spend on the conifers? Some varieties can be very expensive. £20 is not that much really when you weigh up the cost of the plants and providing the best conditions for them. If you are going to spend money on the plants, don't waste it by planting them in bad soil! Dig in plenty of leaf and bark mulch and organic matter, sprinkle some bonemeal on and add some slow release fertilizer (pink miracle grow) for acid loving plants. Most conifers enjoy soil on the acidic side. Put in the work and you will get the results and if the soil you want helps, spend that little bit extra.
9 Mar, 2008