Which soil?

Ericaceous compost is for plants that hate lime/love acid....like azaleas, heathers, um...pieris I think. I've not heard of vines or olives needing it - might be wrong? I was recommended (by my local garden centre info lady) to use John Innes no3 50/50 with grit, & a layer of grit for drainage for my v. sad-looking potted olive. Last summer was very wet here (near London) which they don't like & mine got scale insects too. Has a splotchy black mouldy look - probably sooty mould after scale insects. Anyway, I have the compost & grit, but have yet to find the time to re-pot (3 little kids, not enough time in any day!)....will let you know if the John Innes no3 saves the Olive!

Ericaceous soil is mainly for woodland plants, while vines and olive trees grow on hot, otherwise bare hillsides.

I bought some ericaceous compost from a well-know 'name' believing it was acidic - just as Caz13 recommends. It took a whole summer last year trying various 'treatments' before eventually discovering my new ericaceous compost was NEUTRAL ............... Next time I go looking for ericaceous soil I'm taking my pH meter with me.