Acid-Loving Plants for Organic Gardening

Fruit

• Many homeowners plant organic gardens out of a desire to eat healthier. So many commercially available foods contain pesticides and preservatives that may not be good for our bodies. Strawberries are acid-loving, annual vines that do well in an organic garden bed. Purchase small, established plants and be sure they get plenty of water and have adequate drainage. Blueberry shrubs, fig trees, and tomatoes thrive in acidic soil. Grow peach and plum trees in your acidic, organic soil.

Vegetables

• Capsicums, or bell peppers, do well in acidic soil in rotation with tomatoes, eggplant, and chili peppers. These sun-loving plants need a well-drained site with potash mixed into the soil. Radishes are root vegetables that are annuals. Plant sweet potato from root sprouts called slips. This vegetable is rich in vitamin A and Vitamin C and many other nutrients. Long, wide, and 10-inch-high rows are best for sweet potato vines. All types of beans, cucumbers, peas and sweet corn thrive in acidic soil.

Flowering Ornamentals

• Azaleas, mountain laurels, rhododendrons and magnolias all love acidic soil. The first three shrubs grow in wooded sections because of their love for shade. These perennials work well when planted in rows as a border for your yard or as a backdrop to your organic garden. Camellias are evergreen shrubs that produce flowers ranging in colors from white to yellow, to salmon and on to bright red. The color of a hydrangea is determined by the amount of aluminum released from the soil. When your organic soil is acidic, the aluminum compounds in the soil can be absorbed by hydrangeas, causing its flower to bloom in blue rather than pink.

Ground Covers

• Many ground covers grow well in an acidic soil environment. Creeping wintergreen loves moist soil in partial shade. Heather (Calluna vulgaris) grows to a height of 3 feet and produces white, pink or red blossoms among evergreen foliage. Lamium, Vinca minor, and evening primrose are all acid-loving ground covers. Evening primrose is a perennial ground cover that produces light pink flowers that are about 2 inches in diameter. A naturalized mass of evening primrose adds a feminine touch to your organic garden.