Brining Edam

[jmason]

Interesting, and off hand I can see no reason why post ricotta whey wouldn't also work for blueberry bushes.  Really no protein left so nitrogen contribution for the bushes but for acidifying the soil it should be effective.  It could also be a benefit for potatoes which prefer an acid soil and are far less prone to scab when grown in an acid soil.

John

[qdog1955]

My apologies----it seems I got the original thread off track.
 Andy ---after years of struggling to get the ph in the right place---the whey has been the best organic solution I have found-----but a warning----you still have to check your soil ph----you want to lower it gradually---you will shock your bushes if you drop it from an 8.0 to a 4.5 to quickly.
Qdog

[awakephd]

You mean I should stop pouring the Muriatic acid over the bushes now ... ?

J/K I figured it needed to be done gradually. And it is interesting to hear about the potatos liking the acid as well. Any other common garden veggies/fruits that like the acid? How about blackberry bushes?

[jmason]

I think those are the main common ones.  Tomatoes can tolerate and maybe even like a lower pH than most people grow them in, and potatoes actually tolerate higher ph's ok as well but it does make them more susceptible to scab and maybe some other tuber diseases.  I try to not grow potatoes where they have been grown in the past 3 years, and ideally but tougher to keep track of not where any nightshades have been.  Adding sulphur has been my way to lower pH. There are probably other acid loving garden/orchard plants, like cranberries.  In ornamentals azalea and rhododendron and pines, and of course pH affects what color hydrangea blooms are.

John