No they are not the same. Miracid is a chemical based fertilizer that helps maintain acidic soils but doesn't really create it.

Holly tone is an organic fertilzer and I think a better choice.

These are the steps I would do:

Add lots of organic matter - it is fundementally acidic in nature and helps to buffer the soil.

Add elemental sulfur, especially around plants that require acidic conditions. This is slow acting and non burning. It is sometimes sold as 'Soil Sulfur'. A soil test will tell you how much to add to achieve a specific pH. Do not use Aluminum or Iron Sulfate - they are to fast acting.

Improving soil is best done gradually and is a process that never stops, but the benefits are so worth it.

Ted

If your soil is very alkaline, I'd steer clear of acid lovers. It is very difficult to effect any substantial change in soil pH and what you can do will only be temporary unless you repeat the process regularly. If your soil tests higher than 8.0, I'd restrict growing acid lovers to containers, where soil conditions can be more easily manipulated.

If your soil is less alkaline than 8.0, you can probably achieve a sufficient level of slight acidity to accomodate quite a few acid lovers, but don't expect to lower it dramatically. Once most organic matter begins to decompose, it becomes pretty neutral in pH so while it does have a buffering effect and is a great amendment, it is not going to make alkaline soil more acidic to any significant degree. Peat is the exception. The agricultural sulfur mentioned above can help as well, as can cottonseed meal, which has natural acidic properties.

Hollytone is organically based but not entirely organic. It is also a slow acting fertilizer. Miracid, being soluble, is fast acting and is often recommended for a quick anti-chlorosis fix for iron deficiencies in acid-lovers in less than ideally acidic soil conditions. It's your choice - both will help to slightly acidify the soil.

I agree with gardengal - plant what does best in the soil you have. Why fight a continual battle with pH when great plants are available for either kind of soil?

your answers were very helpful & well written (meaning i could understand!)

so, here is what i came away with: don't plant any *more* plants that *require* acidic soil ... o.k. i won't i promise; but for the azaleas, rhododenrons, & hollies that are already growing in my yard it sounds like an occasional fertilizing with the miracid that i already own won't hurt them (or i suppose i could just throw it away ... sigh..) but i will buy holly-tone ... & i think i might have some elemental sulfur too ...

i had my soil tested when i started gardening (4 yrs. ago) & it was alkaline; but not drastically so

i have been adding a great deal of organic matter; so it is probably now even a little closer to neutral ... i won't be expecting to lower the ph dramatically ...

probably all the plant & shrub books in the library have my fingerprints all over them (i am learning so much) ... & it does seem that most trees, shrubs & plants *prefer* their soil to be slightly acidic ... do you agree?

also, i have read that watering with diluted vinegar is an o.k. thing to do ... what say you on that one?

thanks so much for taking the time to answer, phyl

A few commercial nurseries around here add vinegar to thier irrigation water to counteract our alkaline water. I'd be careful because too much will damage the plants. I would not expect it to have a long term effect on soil pH.

Ted

Ted's right, dilute vinegar water acn be of benefit to acid lovers but it will have minimal effect on soil pH. And yes, the biggest majority of plants prefer slightly acidic to nearly neutral soil soil conditions - extremes to either end reduces the palette considerably. But the good new is that most plants tolerate a fairly wide range of soil pH, so they will grow and thrive with only periodic adjustments to account for missing or inaccessible nurients that less than ideal soil chemistry may offer.