Plants for acidic soil

Acidic soil (low pH) suits rhododendrons, azaleas, blueberries, heathers, camellias, hydrangeas and conifers like pine and spruce. These acid-loving species are harmed by lime and high pH. In the atlas you can filter them by the "acidic" soil reaction.

The surest way is to measure the pH with a cheap soil tester or test strips from a garden centre — a reading below 7 means acidic soil. Indicator plants such as horsetail, sorrel, or naturally growing heather and blueberries are also a clue. You can acidify soil with peat, pine bark or a special acidifying fertiliser.

Planted straight into chalky soil, acid-lovers turn yellow (chlorosis) from a lack of available iron. It's best to grow them in large pots or raised beds filled with ericaceous compost. In open chalky ground they're hard to keep long-term, even when watered with acidified water.