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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nHave you ever planted a garden and even though you did everything right, your plants don\u2019t grow or they don\u2019t grow as they should? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You watered it properly, you gave it the necessary amount of light and your compost\/soil mix was on point. But still your garden did not produce the plant growth you expected. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So I have one question…did you check your soil pH levels?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Soil pH is how acidic or alkaline your garden is. And it directly affects which plants will grow successfully in your garden.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Over time, plants have evolved to require certain nutrients in order to flourish. The soil pH determines which ones are available to be absorbed by the plant roots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your soil pH is too acidic or alkaline, your plants will get too much of certain nutrients and not enough of others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Plant in the incorrect soil and your seeds or seedlings will not flourish and in some cases may struggle to survive at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The pH scale for gardening runs on a scale from 0 to 14.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For most regular garden plants, you will want your soil pH to read somewhere between very slightly alkaline or very slightly acidic, between 6.5 to 7.5.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Strong alkaline or strongly acid soils will need to be amended to grow most plants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are three ways to test the pH of your soil:<\/p>\n\n\n\n To run a soil pH test yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes and no. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If the plants you are planting will grow well with the type of soil you already have, there is no need to mess with it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, if the plants you desire will not grow well in your soil pH, you should at least attempt to balance it in the direction you need. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Be sure to keep in mind that this is not a once-and-done scenario. You will have to keep up the treatments to maintain the desired growing conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your soil is too alkaline or too acidic for the plants you want to grow, you have two options available to you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gardening tip<\/strong>: It is usually far easier to fix soil that is too acidic than it is soil that is too alkaline. The latter often contains calcium carbonate that resists pH changes.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Acidic soil with a pH below 5.5 will prevent minerals such as phosphorus, calcium and magnesium from being absorbed by plants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The best way to increase the soil pH is to use liming materials such as dolomitic limestone. Sprinkle the lime around the base of alkaline-loving plants and water it in well (lime needs moisture to be absorbed). <\/p>\n\n\n\n You will likely need to repeat this treatment more than once per year for it be effective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But over-liming is possible so it’s a good idea to re-test the soil a couple of months after each application. This will make sure you are applying the right amount of lime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alkaline soil will prevent nutrients such as iron, manganese, copper, zinc, and phosphorus from being available to plant roots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aluminum sulfate is the fastest and most effective way to lower soil pH. When it is worked into the soil, it creates a chemical reaction that causes an immediate change. But it can burn the plants in the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another approach is to work peat moss into the soil. This adds organic matter into the soil which lowers the pH and improves the texture of the soil but will take longer to see results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Find out the application rates for changing the pH of your soil from the Clemson university extension<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you don’t want to go through the hassle of adjusting your garden soil pH, try to choose plants that will thrive with the conditions you already have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As already mentioned, there are quite a few common garden vegetables and flowers that grow well in soil that is alkaline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are the pH ranges for a few of these:<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhy is soil pH important?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How is garden pH measured?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nHow to test garden soil pH<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Garden](\"https:\/\/www.fromhousetohome.com\/garden\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2021\/04\/garden-soil-pH-testing-2-720x1080.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nDo I really need to fix soil pH?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to fix a soil pH imbalance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
To make acidic soil more alkaline<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
To make alkaline soil more acidic<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Plants for alkaline soil<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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