Herbs for Sandy Acid Soil
Answered by: Inge Poot
Question from: Brian Carlick
Posted on: September 30, 2006

The ph of my soil varies from 4.5 to 5.5 and is quite sandy, what would be the best herbs to grow in these conditions please

The herbs that we have described as being tolerant of this pH are as follows: (Do check their zone rating to help in a winter care decision) Aconite, alfalfa, annatto, angelica, avens, balm, basil, bay laurel, sugar beet, belladonna, bilberry, bloodroot, boldo, borage, dyer’s broom, scotch broom, Spanish broom, burdock, butterfly pea, calendula, camphor tree, castor bean, leaf celery, chicory, chives, citronella grass, clivers, red clover, coffee, black cohosh, coltsfoot, watercress, cumin, dandelion, elecampane, purple foxglove, garlic, ginseng, common guava, henbane, henna, hops (wet soil), horehound, indigo, lamb’s quarters, lemon grass, luffa, common marjoram, variegated marjoram, apple mint, English mint, pineapple mint, spearmint, menthol mint, white mustard, stinging nettle, Welsh onion, compact oregano, golden oregano, Greek oregano, showy oregano, papaya, paprika, passion fruit, patchouli, Chile peppers, pokeroot, Queen Annes lace, rauwolfia, roselle, rosemary, Chinese senna, sesame, shallots, stevia, strawberries, sunflower, tamarind, tea, all varieties of English and French thyme, wild thyme, toothache plant, turmeric, vetiver grass, sweet woodruff, Jerusalem artichoke, asparagus, balsam pear, asparagus bean, Chinese cabbage, chicory (Belgian endive), oriental cucumber, daikon, French dandelion, Japanese eggplant, Batavian endive, gai loh, gobo, vegetable gourd, leek, butterhead lettuce, pak choi, sugar pea, radicchio, roquette, water spinach, vegetable spaghetti.

Undoubtedly there are many more of our herbs that could tolerate a pH down to 4.5, but we have just not found documentation for it.



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