Soil PH
So What do you Need to Know about Soil PH?
What does the soil in your yard have in common with a glass of wine? The answer: pH. These two letters describe how acid or alkaline something is. Anyone who wants to grow something in their yard, from a lawn to tomatoes to prize-winning dahlias, should know the basics of soil pH.
The pH scale makes it easy to understand. The scale runs from 0 to 14. Neutral is right in the middle – 7 on the scale. Any number below 7 means acidic, or "sour." Any number above 7 means alkaline, or "sweet." This gives you a benchmark when you test your soil's pH.
Why is pH important to plants? The correct pH helps your plants absorb the nutrients they need from the soil. If the soil is too acid or alkaline, these nutrients won't dissolve so they can be absorbed by the plant roots. Most flower and vegetable garden plants prefer a slightly acidic soil. If you aim for a pH between 6.0 and 7.0, most nutrients will be readily available to plants.
Test your soil to determine if you need to make any amendments. Simple test kits can be purchased at your garden center. If you find that your soil is too acid, you can add ground limestone to make it more alkaline. If your soil is too alkaline, you can amend it by adding sulphur, shredded leaves or peat moss.