Plants may be finicky, as you may have learned from your gardening experiences. The best location, amount of sunlight, and 101 other elements all affect how well your plant grows. Before planting a new plant, it is important to understand one component, which is the pH of the soil.

What is the pH of Soil?

For a moment, let's get all scientific and discover what pH is. The pH scale in chemistry determines how acidic or alkaline a solution is. The chemical lesson is now complete. Soil pH essentially serves as a gauge for how acidic or alkaline your soil is. On a scale of 1 to 14, soil pH is determined. Acidic soil is defined as having a pH value less than 7. On the other side, alkaline soil is defined as having a pH value greater than 7. Since a pH of 7 is neutral, your soil is neither acidic nor alkaline.

On Plants, the Effect of Soil pH

Prior to planting, it is crucial to understand your soil's pH level because it directly affects the health of the plant. Each plant has a specific pH value range that is advised. This is because various plants have varied nutrient requirements, and soil pH impacts the availability of nutrients in the soil. For instance, when the pH level in the soil is higher than 5.5, the nutrient nitrogen, which is crucial for plant growth, is easily available. Similarly, when the pH is between 6 and 7, the nutrient phosphorus is available. The improper kind of soil will deprive a plant of the nutrients it requires, which will encourage illness. The optimal pH range for soil is often between 6 and 7, as the majority of nutrients are readily available in this range.

Obtaining the soil's pH

The kits needed to determine the pH of the soil should be accessible at most reputable garden centres. Finding out the pH of the soil is typically a simple task. A pH testing kit often comes with a little container or test tube, testing solution, and a colour chart. You take a sample of soil from your garden, put it in the container or test tube, and then add a few drops of the testing solution. After shaking it, the container is left for a set amount of time. The pH level of the soil is then calculated by comparing the colour of the sample in the container to a colour chart. Be aware that it may be a good idea to collect soil samples from numerous locations, combine the samples, and then conduct the test on the combined sample if you wish to know the soil pH of a sizable area.

Checking to see if any house hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) have already established in the region is an easy approach to determine the pH of the environment. If so, take note of the blossoms' colour. Pink flowers grow in soil with a pH of 6.8 or higher, while blue blooms grow in soil with a pH of 6 or lower.

How to Increase Soil Alkalinity (Increase pH)

You can take steps to make your soil more alkaline if it is acidic or just slightly acidic in order to accommodate the plants you want to grow there. By adding a type of lime, you can make your soil more alkaline and raise its pH level. Calcium or calcium and magnesium are the main ingredients of lime. Agricultural limestone that has been ground up, burnt lime, or hydrated lime are the typical forms in which it is administered (slaked lime). Your soil will become more alkaline more quickly the smaller the limestone particles are. As a result, hydrated lime will operate the fastest since it is slightly soluble in water, allowing it to penetrate the soil and reduce acidity more quickly.

It takes time to raise the pH of your soil, therefore it's ideal to give it two to three months so that the lime can balance out the acidity.

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How to Increase Soil Acidity (Decrease pH)

Acidic soil is necessary for some decorative and fruit plants, including blueberries. Use sulphur or aluminium sulphate to increase the acidity (lower the pH) of your soil. The quickest acting is aluminium sulphate, which increases soil acidity as soon as it dissolves. The drawbacks are that its effects might be transient and that it might be overused.

Utilising sulphur is the more effective but more time-consuming method of raising your soil pH. Sulphur is converted to sulphuric acid by soil bacteria, although the process takes time depending on the types of bacteria present, the soil's texture, and the amount of moisture present. If the circumstances are not optimal, it can take months.

We recommend this product from Vitax, as it often provides the best results and doesn't take too long to work.

Conclusion

When choosing what to plant in your soil, always remember to consider the pH of the soil. If you are unsure of the pH of your soil, test it first and, if necessary, follow the earlier indicated instructions to gradually modify the pH level.

Using this blog entry as a guide, you should be all set for the spring.