laen🪻does anyone have any experience growing serviceberry (amelanchier alnifolia) in crappy, calcium-heavy soil?
i've been searching and have found both that it's fine and that it's terrible ...
thank you!
edited to add #gardening
Deborah Edwards-Oñoro@moonrabbit If you add the gardening hashtag to your post, more folks will see it.
Alex Haist@moonrabbit I don't know that soil type in particular, but serviceberries are tough little guys in general and do well as street trees, which suggests they can deal.
@alexhaist
thank you! we've got herbs growing like anything there, so hopefully it would do ok too?
and you, are you doing ok?
@moonrabbit if it isn't killing herbs, it's unlikely to kill a tree.
I'm okay! I need to fill out an additional form for my disability application, so I'm in a tizzy. Done with that for tonight, though.
@alexhaist
i suppose i was thinking about root depth. the soil there is almost gravelly and quite compacted, but actually it's better far down, so if the tree could get past the top ... (and we'd give it lots of compost when we planted it anyway)
and there's lots of borage around too, so that's breaking it all up a bit.
i stumbled onto it as a possibility for the patch we need to fill*, and the place we get plants has wee ones for 8€, and i'm suddenly desperate for one, having read about them lots, but i just don't want to give it a bad life.
and eek, i hope it goes ok. very wise of you to leave it for today. get some sleep! form gnomes will help tomorrow 
*veg patch that i'm not well enough to manage anymore, so we need to plant it with more permanent things ...
LionelBI have grown other Amelanchiers and found them unfussy.
Plants for a Future is a great reference always.
https://pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?latinname=Amelanchier+alnifolia
Amelanchier alnifolia Saskatoon, Saskatoon serviceberry, Serviceberry PFAF Plant Database
Amelanchier alnifolia is a deciduous Shrub growing to 4 m (13ft) by 3 m (9ft) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 3 and is not frost tender. It is in flower in May, and the seeds ripen from June to July. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees. The plant is self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil and can tolerate drought.
I am well but a bit confused by the sudden change of weather. Yesterday I saw 50-60 butterflies but today 8° cooler and cloudy, so not much going on.
Don RayI’ve got one of those that’s done well for 30 years. But my soil is probably slightly acidic (but not nearly acidic enough for blueberries). Mine really started to thrive when a nearby tree grew enough to give some afternoon shade.
This (Regent) is the variety I have, and the fruit is tasty. Mine is 10 feet tall (after 30 years, growing in good soil).
https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=242786
@donray
this one is "feuilles d'aulne", which i've actually just seen somewhere is particularly suited to calcium soils! apparently.
we're only renting here so sadly we won't get to see it in 30yrs, but hopefully someone will.
this one is "feuilles d'aulne", which i've actually just seen somewhere is particularly suited to calcium soils! apparently.
we're only renting here so sadly we won't get to see it in 30yrs, but hopefully someone will.
Virginicus@moonrabbit No serviceberries, but my soil pH is 7.8. I bought a bag of sulfur granules at the garden center. I sprinkle a handful around the base of my hazel bushes every spring and they really appreciate it.
@Virginicus
thank you! i'll bear this in mind in case we need it ...
thank you! i'll bear this in mind in case we need it ...
Helen Clayton@moonrabbit I’ve seen them growing everywhere so I imagine they can cope with most soils.
@helenclayton
i'm suddenly besotted with them, for some reason?
i'm suddenly besotted with them, for some reason?
@moonrabbit they are lovely. I have two and I’m thinking of getting another.
Sarah🌳@moonrabbit @helenclayton First time I noticed them was when my sister lived in the Netherlands. They were used in lots of municipal planting schemes. I always like to have one in the garden - all my gardens have been heavy clay, but I'm sure it was closer to sand in NL. Versatile.
@Sarah111well @moonrabbit many years ago my dad chose one for my stepmum’s parents’ garden (now my stepmum’s garden) and I always admired it. Great year round interest and good for wildlife.
@Sarah111well @helenclayton
apparently (supposedly) the variety i'm looking at is ok with calcium, so we shall see. i suppose we can always pull it out and put it in a pot if it looks peaky.
apparently (supposedly) the variety i'm looking at is ok with calcium, so we shall see. i suppose we can always pull it out and put it in a pot if it looks peaky.
@moonrabbit @helenclayton Do you have chalky soil then? I only have experience of sandy soils and HEAVY clay. Talk about opposite extremes 😄
@Sarah111well @helenclayton
it's clay that's full of limestone (and fossils). and part of our garden in particular is quite gravelly, as someone used to park on it ... 🙄
the bits with decent soil are decent enough, if you don't mind LOTS OF rocks ...
it's clay that's full of limestone (and fossils). and part of our garden in particular is quite gravelly, as someone used to park on it ... 🙄
the bits with decent soil are decent enough, if you don't mind LOTS OF rocks ...
@moonrabbit @helenclayton Aah I understand now. What kind of things do enjoy growing in your garden?