Soil test

bouicca21

Last year the hydrangeas in the front hedge could not make up their minds whether to be blue or pink. This year they are pink.

So from other posts on here that suggests alkaline soil, which kiboshes my idea of a camellia hedge in front of next door's fence.

Just to be sure I did a soil test. The kit initially just produced a very very pale green liquid. I shook it again and this time got a darker green precipitate in a light green Liquid. I think the green is closer to the colour chart for neutral than seriously alkaline but I'd like to be sure - I don't want to learn by killing a camellia. Is there a cheapish test I can do that will produce the actual PH reading?

Or is it best to have a camellia in a pot (I do love camellias) and think of something else to disguise the fence - which is west facing in a north facing garden and creates a shade patch all day.

Edited to add that amongst the overgrown plants and weeds there is a huge hebe and a similarly large skimmia. Both were cut back last autumn and both have regrown and are flourishing. Is this an indication of neutral?

bouicca21

I have re-tested using rainwater and litmus paper and it comes out as PH 6 ish. So pretty much right at the limit for camellias, which I understand is 6.2. Looks like the only definitive test will be trying to grow one and see what happens.