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Charlenenj

My Weather
My Garden
| Posted on Saturday, September 16, 2006 - 02:36 am EST : |  
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Hello all. In early spring, I carved out a small area that was mostly clay soil to make into a garden. I was going to add a little bit of peat moss (along with compost and such) but the entire bag of peat moss opened and fell into the area. The things I planted in there are doing odd things and I assume it's because of too much peat moss? Examples: (1) my Arizona Sun gallardia looked saggy all season and didn't retain the flowers very long. (2) a Sprirea Goldmound bush I planted spread horizontally all across the garden at lightening spead, with no height to it and is like ground cover (3) my phlox was completely covered in powdery mildew. I'm trying to "understand" soil, so can someone say what is happening here? Is this what is called a bog? Is it retaining too much moisture? Not sure what to add to it to correct the problem. Thanks!
Charlenenj
- New Jersey,
Zone "6b"
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Verdant0green

| Posted on Saturday, September 16, 2006 - 05:04 am EST : |  
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Peat moss is acidic and holds a lot of moisture, so that could be an issue...have you tested the pH of the soil in that area vs an area that didn't receive the addition of the peat?
Verdant0green
- Northern California,
Zone "9"
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Otnorot

| Posted on Friday, July 06, 2007 - 07:46 pm EST : |  
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Phlox is always gets powdery mildew.Peat moss is acidic, and contains very little of nutritional value. Bill
Otnorot
- Ont,
Zone "6A"
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Luis_pr
My Time
| Posted on Saturday, July 21, 2007 - 10:51 pm EST : |  
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My Spirea Goldmound does not grow as fast as yours; I consider it a low-growing bush here. Spirea does prefer growing in acidic soil but tolerates alkaline soils (like mine). Phlox is well known here for getting powdery mildew so I do not think that is connected to the peat moss snafu. Phlox plants are infected during mid-spring and early fall when temperatures are near 60˚F. Some resistant varieties are Red Magic, David, Eden’s Crush, Darwin’s Joyce, Blue Boy, Robert Poore and Delta Snow.
Luis_pr
- Hurst, Texas,
Zone "USDA 7b/8a"
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