The key to improving your garden soil is to diagnose its deficiencies; get the pH readings correct by ammending the soil and you will reap the rewards of a great harvest. If you visit your local garden centre you can purchase a pH meter which will easily identify what the current levels are of your garden soil, they are quite cheap and easy to use, no rocket science involved. You can also contact your local state cooperative extension service to have your soil tested. To get the best informed readings of your garden soils health, take readings from half a dozen different spots. By looking at these readings and determining what plants you want to grow you can decide what action is needed to correct the condition of the soil.
Garden soil can be classed as acidic with a pH range of 1-7, neutral with a pH of 7 or alkaline with a pH of 7-14. Nutrients in the garden soil are most readily available to plants at a neutral range of around 6.0-7.0 so this is the reading that you should try to achieve.
If the soil is too acidic then the plants cannot utilize the nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and other nutrients they need. Toxic metals are more available to plants in acidic soils and they will be susceptible to poisoning from these substances. In alkaline soils iron, manganese and phosphorous are not as available to the plants.
If you have tested the soil and need to make it less acidic then add lime, limestone, or wood ash. If however you need to make it less alkaline then add sulfur or naturally organic materials such as conifer needles, sawdust or peat moss. Take care with the amounts used to ensure you change the conditions slowly, over a couple of seasons.
While most plants really enjoy 6.0 to 7.0 (a slightly acidic to neutral range) there are plants that defy the norm, just to keep you on your toes, so you can benefit from this knowledge and make sure your efforts are rewarded with the great crops only a healthy garden soil will give you.
The following list shows the optimum pH range for some common trees and shrubs for them to thrive and become good healthy plants. For details of the soil requirements for plants that are not listed you can contact me.
Flowers follow the same trend; you will have wonderful results just by correcting the pH levels, rather like adjusting your own diet so that your health benefits.
Begonias 5.5-7.0, Black eyed Susan 5.5-7.0, Geraniums 6.0-8.0, Clematis 5.5-7.0, Daffodils 6.0-7.0, Dahlias 6.0-7.5, Foxglove 6.0-7.5, Gladiolus 5.0-7.0, Hibiscus 6.0-8.0, Hollyhock 6.0-8.0, Marigold 5.5-7.5, Rose 5.5-7.0.
If you wish to grow a lush green lawn the pH should be 7.0 or above; if the pH falls lower than this then fungal diseases may become a problem.
Any adjustments that need to be made to the soil may not seem worthwhile, but believe me, they are. You will achieve fantastic rewards for your efforts, a great looking garden and an amazing harvest.
What Is Soil Ph
What is Soil pH?
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Let's get all scientific for a moment and learn what pH is. In chemistry pH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline a solution is. Okay chemistry lesson over. Basically soil pH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline your soil is. Soil pH is measured on a scale of 1 to 14. If your soil has a pH value of less than 7 then you have acidic soil. On the other hand if your soil has a pH value of greater than 7 then you have alkaline soil. A pH value of 7 is neutral, meaning you have neither acidic or alkaline soil.
The Effect of Soil pH on Plants Knowing the pH value of your soil before planting is very important as it has a direct influence on the health of the plant. Each plant has its own recommended soil pH value range. The reason for this is that soil pH effects the availability of nutrients within the soil and plants have different nutrient needs. For example the nutrient nitrogen, a very important plant nutrient, is readily available in soil when the pH value is above 5.5. Similarily the nutrient phosphorous is available when the pH value is between 6 and 7. If a plant is placed into the wrong kind of soil it will be lacking in nutrients that it needs which will promote disease. In general the best pH value range for soil is approximately 6 or 7 as this is the range in which most nutrients can be readily available.
Finding Out pH of Soil
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Finding out the pH of soil is usually a trivial matter and the kits to do so should be available at most good garden centres. Usually a pH testing kit will include a small container / test tube, testing solution and a color chart. A sample of soil is taken from your garden, placed into the container / test tube and a few drops of testing solution are added. The container is then shaken and left for a certain period of time. The color of the sample in the container is then compared against the color chart to determine the pH value of the soil. Note that if you want to determine the soil pH of an large area it may be a good idea to take soil samples from many different locations, combine the samples and then perform the test on the combined sample.
A quick way to find out the pH of an area is to look to see if there are any house hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) already growing in the area. If so observe the color of its flowers. A soil pH of 6 or below will produce blue flowers while a soil pH of 6.8 or higher will produce pink flowers.
How to Make Soil More Alkaline (Increase pH)
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If your soil is acidic or slightly acidic you can take steps to make it more alkaline to accommodate the plants you want to put there. You can make your soil more alkaline (increase its pH value) by adding a form of lime. Lime is a compound of calcium or calcium and magnesium. It is usually applied in the form of ground agricultural limestone, burnt lime or hydrated lime (slaked lime). The smaller the limestone particles then the quicker your soil will become more alkaline. For this reason hydrated lime will offer the quickest performance because it is slightly soluble in water so it can permeate the soil quicker and reduce acidity faster.
Increasing the pH of your soil is not an overnight process and it is best to allow 2-3 months to allow the lime to neutralize the acidity of the soil acidity.
How to Make Soil More Acidic (Decrease pH)
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Some ornamental plants and fruit plants like blueberries require an acidic soil. To make your soil more acidic (decrease its pH value) you can use either aluminium sulphate or sulphur. Aluminium sulphate is the quickest acting as it will increase the acidity as soon as it disolves into the soil. The downsides are though that its effects can be short term and it is possible to over-apply it.
The more recommended but slower way to increase your soil pH is to use sulphur. Sulphur converts to sulphuric acid with the help of bacteria in the soil but this takes time depending on factors like the presence of bacteria, texture of the soil and moisture levels. This could take months if conditions are not ideal.
Conclusion
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Remember to always take into account soil pH when deciding what to plant in your soil. If you do not know what the pH of your soil is then test your soil and if needs be take steps mentioned earlier to change the pH value over time. Best of luck!
Both Colin D Price & Julie Souto are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Colin D Price has sinced written about articles on various topics from Health, Landscaping and Health. Colin Price has been gardening for many years with varying . Now you can take advantage of his knowledge and success and create your own beautiful and produc. Colin D Price's top article generates over 27100 views. to your Favourites.
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