Gardening and Landscaping Stack Exchange
Gardening and Landscaping Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [ph]

pH is a numeric measure of how acidic or alkaline the soil or other growing medium is. Acidic soils have low pH and alkaline soils have high pH. Use this tag for questions about measuring or adjusting the pH of your soil.

Related tags:

  • for other questions about changing the soil composition.

External links:

  • Wikipedia on pH
55 questions
17
votes
1 answer

What type of tester works best for measuring soil pH?

I want to measure the pH of soil in my potted plants (especially for the dwarf citrus trees that I just bought). I've seen many different options: expensive laboratory-grade meters, cheap digital meters, analog meters, pH test paper strips, and so…
Steven T. Snyder
  • 273
  • 1
  • 5
9
votes
2 answers

How can I measure the pH of my soil?

I was told to measure the pH of my soil to help identify some of the symptoms on my vegetable plants. Does anyone have recommendations of a device I can purchase to measure soil pH?
JStorage
  • 7,844
  • 6
  • 32
  • 72
9
votes
2 answers

What does ash do to the PH of soil?

I've read that ash changes the PH of soil, so I was wondering how it changes the PH.
black thumb
  • 8,786
  • 2
  • 30
  • 67
9
votes
1 answer

Is it possible to graft miracle fruit to a rootstock that tolerates alkaline soil?

I am interested in purchasing a miracle fruit (Synsepalum dulcificum) plant and would love to plant it in the ground. However, one of the main issues is that miracle fruit likes extremely acidic soils and AZ has alkaline soil. Does anyone know of a…
Ryan Sherry
  • 91
  • 1
8
votes
1 answer

Is it possible to modify soil pH with plants?

I have a very chalky soil and I'd like to decrease its pH. Are there plants that can effectively help correct the soil pH permanently?
GodTaxist
  • 83
  • 3
8
votes
1 answer

How to pH test mulch and compost?

I've used soil pH test kits in the past where you mix the soil with a solution and look for a color change. This works OK for dirt, but sometimes I'd like to know what the final pH of my planting mix is (a combination of mulch, compost, sand, clay).…
watkipet
  • 309
  • 1
  • 6
8
votes
4 answers

Developing new soil for gardening

We recently purchased some land that is on the bench of the mountains covered in juniper trees and has a PH of between 7 and 8. We have cleared a good size area and I would like to amend the soil for a vegetable garden. I have read some interesting…
Sher
  • 101
  • 3
8
votes
5 answers

Are there plants that add acid to soil naturally?

I'm curious if there are any plants that might add acid to their soil so that they might work well in a permaculture setting, you might be able to plant X, Y or Z near a blueberry bush to eliminate the need for soil upkeep.
Throsby
  • 1,509
  • 1
  • 11
  • 20
7
votes
1 answer

Why do the leaves on my Meyer lemon have blotchy yellow areas?

I have a Meyer lemon that I purchased a few months ago. I potted it into a self watering container with some potting mix mixed with some peat. It's flowering and small fruit are forming but the leaves are not looking wonderfully healthy. There are…
Graham Chiu
  • 23,044
  • 5
  • 36
  • 92
7
votes
1 answer

Can I measure chemical elements in soil myself?

What sort of equipment would one need to ensure that plant soil contains the right concentration of the 13 mineral nutrients necessary for plant growth? Specifically, can this be measured in real-time without involving sending samples to a lab? As…
augustzf
  • 173
  • 4
6
votes
2 answers

What makes Ammonium Sulfate a soil acidifier but not Potassium Sulfate

Adding elemental Sulphur is a common practice to lower pH of soil. Ammonium Sulfate can also have the same effect. I read that Potassium Sulfate and Magnesium Sulfate may not have the same acidifying effect. Do you know why?
ammoun
  • 481
  • 2
  • 7
6
votes
0 answers

Acidic soil containing chalk?

I’ve recently bought a property in a ‘dry chalk valley’. It’s an old barn with a paddock out the back. I bought an electronic soil pH meter (two prongs with an analog dial meter) and followed the instructions. The result was a pH of 4.9. I’m…
Deejay
  • 61
  • 2
6
votes
1 answer

What type of soil do cacti prefer? (acidic or alkaline)

I have done some research and found some sites suggesting alkaline soil while others say that alkaline soil will inhibit the growth of a cactus.
user16651
6
votes
2 answers

Can I ignore soil pH and just give blueberries chelated iron?

As Why do blueberries need acidic soil? points out, it seems that iron is really the biggest nutrient to suffer in alkaline conditions. Even an answer there, despite a nice emphasis on the broader soil ecology, ends up focusing on this…
natevw
  • 191
  • 7
5
votes
4 answers

What should I grow on soil which doesn't soak water to the underground?

I have a piece of land which has, I guess, large calcium content as it show white deposits in large quantities. I tried to grow various plants on it but could not succeed. The land does not absorb water as fast as the normal soil. Soil remains wet…
SacrificialEquation
  • 151
  • 3
1
2 3 4