CG>the business of spreading roots throughout its soil to locate
CG>every last drop of water. The plants talk amongst themselves
CG>calling it "Going to Vancouver" (g!)
  My friends are numerous, and one might get offended if another takes
  precedence showering with me! Not to mention the "lucky" frond might
  get squished if I stumble in the bath, which I'm very apt to do.
CG>This leads me to wonder about the wisdom of adding a pinch or
CG>spray of baking soda to soil to neutralise any stray acids? The
CG>by-prodcuts would be Sodium salts (Na) which rinse out quickly,
CG>and carbon dioxide and water.
  Bad idea, Chris! Most plants prefer neutral or slightly acid soil -
  adding a pinch of baking soda might be harmful, and seriously injure,
  if not kill them. Moreover, although we have acid soil right here, we
  have strongly limed water. Just using our water is probably all the pH
  balancing we need.
  Most fertilizers are acid in nature, including manure, compost, peats,
  fermented teas, chemical plant food, and so on. The best way, apart
  from not using acid fertilizers overmuch, to counteract their
  acidifying effect is to add ground limestone to the basic soil mix, or
  to the compost heap in SMALL amounts.
   In line with your recycling ethic, you may also dissolve eggshells in
    vinegar solutions, then dilute the solutions and use for watering.
   Alternately, baking and crushing dried eggshells, and adding them
   as mulch or ingredient to potting soil may accomplish the same thing
   much less dangerously. :-)
                         ...Sandra...
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 * QMPro 1.52 * It wasn't the apple on the tree, but the pair under it!
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