Soil PH...An Important "Key" To Successful Gardening--In Plain English
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Article by: Fred Davis Soil ph is among the least understood and most universally ignored or abused "keys" to getting the kind of results that makes one gardener--and his or her gardening , Everything You need to Know to Set up Your Square Foot Garden results--stand head and shoulders above all others. Just what is pH anyway? The term "pH" is nothing more than a way of expressing the amount of acidity or alkalinity in the soil. , Fabric Hammocks A "sour" soil , Gardening on a Budget is acidic to one degree or other, while "sweet" refers to an alkaline soil. , The Zoo-Doo Man - Or How to Make the Best Compost in the World! Most New England garden , ing Tips and Tricks for Late Autumn soils are, by nature, , Patio Design and Patio Furniture - The Use of Focal Points moderately to strongly acidic and must often be "adjusted" to encourage them to grow , Japanese Plum Yew - Cephalotaxus Harringtonia 'Prostrata' better crops and flowers. , 7 Tips for Creating Fresh Hydrangea Bouquets Deep woods , How to Grow a Pineapple and blueberry barrens are usually very strongly acidic...that's how the plants , Gardening on a Budget which grow , 3 Easy Tips for Successful Container Gardening there like it. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14 (7 being neutral--neither acidic nor alkaline). Numbers smaller than 7 indicate acidic conditions and, as you might readily guess, those above 7 indicate alkaline conditions. Most vegetables, , Seeding Your Lawn, Laid Bare herbaceous perennials, , What to Feed Your Fish During Colder Winter Months annuals, , The Beauty of Basil field crops and fruits grow, , The Zoo-Doo Man - Or How to Make the Best Compost in the World! produce, and look their best at a pH of between 6.5 and 7.0--slightly-acidic-to-neutral. Soils , The Beauty of Basil which are too acidic or too alkaline for the crop need to be adjusted to very nearly the ideal pH. Ground limestone or wood , Gardening for Seniors and the Physically Challenged ashes raises the pH to sweeten acidy soil, , Gardening Tips and Tricks for Late Autumn while adding carefully-measured amounts of sulfur increases acidity, lowering the pH. How important is correct pH? It is important to understand that nutrients--substances which plants , Container Gardening Is For Everyone use for food--are much more readily available for plants , The Beauty of Basil to use when soil , Container Gardening Is For Everyone pH is as it should be. For example, a soil , What to Feed Your Fish During Colder Winter Months may have ample nutritional elements (fertilizer) but if it is very strongly acidic or far too alkaline, those nutrients are quite simply locked-up and almost completely unavailable. Adjusting soil , Worm Composting Bin pH to the recommended level releases food , 3 Easy Tips for Successful Container Gardening for the plants , Taking Care of Your Bonsai to use. Here's something you've probably never heard before: large quantities of the three primary nutrients--nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potash (K)--are blocked by a soil , Gardening Tips and Tricks for Late Autumn pH more acidic than about 5.0. Phosphorus, in particular, is bound-up and almost totally inaccessible at pH levels below about 6.2 or 6.3 (moderately acidic). You can almost literally pour phosphorus into the garden , Park Benches all you want or can afford...but if the soil , Pool Waterfalls is even a little too acidic, the plants , What to Feed Your Fish During Colder Winter Months simply can't get at it. Soils , Everything You need to Know to Set up Your Square Foot Garden containing ample organic , Seeding Your Lawn, Laid Bare matter (compost, rotted manure, etc.) fare better but every good gardener strives to maintain correct pH. Odd as it may sound, a great many frustrating problems in the field or garden , A Guide To Japanese s could be solved by a simple soil , Gardening for Seniors and the Physically Challenged test and then adjusting soil , Cultivating Plants In Your Garden...What To Watch Out For nutritional condition--especially pH--appropriately. The logical and responsible next step? Drop by your local , You Can Grow Your Own Herb Garden - Part 5 Cooperative Extension Service office and pick up a soil , 7 Tips for Creating Fresh Hydrangea Bouquets sample kit. It's some of the best insurance you can obtain against disappointment in the garden! , Organic ing For preferred pH levels of a great many ornamentals and vegetables, , William Baffin Climbing Rose see "Appendix 1" of Fred's book, "Keys To The Garden , What to Feed Your Fish During Colder Winter Months Gate," at: http://www.hillgardens.com/libragardinale_tr26057.htm#appendix. While you're there, download your free copy of the book. Fred Davis is a Master Gardener, Master Composter, , Straw Bale Culture Technique lecturer, and long-time nurseryman. He and his wife, Linda, own and operate a popular perennial , How to Grow a Pineapple nursery in Palermo, Maine, and maintain a no-frills gardening , Vacation Proofing your Garden information website at: http://www.HillGardens.com/ |
  
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