Soil pH For Garden Vegetables and Ornamental Plants Soil pH is referred to as the acidity of the soil and is measured by the number of Hydrogen ions present in the soil solution. When the soil pH is too acidic (low pH) or alkaline (high pH), nutrients present in the soil become locked-up or unavailable. Correcting the pH has the same effect as applying fertilizer as it unlocks plant nutrients already present, and it is more cost effective as well. |
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| Farmers used to taste their soil to determine its pH. A sweet taste or smell, it was alkaline. A sour taste meant it was acidic. | |
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Some garden plants thrive in acidic soils while others prefer an alkaline soil. The acidity or alkalinity of soil is measured by pH (potential Hydrogen ions). pH is a measure of the amount of lime (calcium) contained in your soil, and the type of soil that you have.
A soil with a pH lower than 7.0 is an acidic soil and one with a pH higher than 7.0 is alkaline.
It
is recommended that you use a relatively
inexpensive
Soil pH meter
To raise or lower the pH level in the soil either Limestone or Sulfur is utilized..
There are other materials that will do the job also, but the aforementioned are the most widely used.
Limestone is added to soil raise the pH level because limestone is essentially calcium and calcium reacts with water in the soil to yield hydroxyl ions .. a process known as, hydrolysis... thus the pH level in the soil is raised. See Lime Application
Sulfur reacts with bacteria in the soil and produces sulfuric acid, which releases hydrogen ions thus causing the soil to become more acidic..... the pH level is lowered. See Sulfur Application
Application Of Lime (To Raise Soil pH) ^PageTop
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To increase your pH by 1.0 point and make your soil more alkaline.
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Add 4 ounces of hydrated lime per square yard in sandy soils
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Add 8 ounces of hydrated lime per square yard in loamy soils
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Add 12 ounces of hydrated lime per square yard in clay soils
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Add 25 ounces of hydrated lime per square yard in peaty soils
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The addition of ash, bone meal, or crushed oyster shells will also help to raise soil pH levels.
Application of Sulfur (To Lower Soil pH) ^PageTop
If your soil needs to be more acidic, sulfur may be
used to lower the pH if it is available.
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To reduce the soil pH by 1.0 point
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Mix in 1.2 oz of ground rock sulfur per square yard if the soil is sandy
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Mix in 3.6 oz per square yard for all other soils.
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Composted leaves, wood chips, sawdust, leaf mold and peat moss, will also help to lower the soil pH.
Soil Ph for Fruits and Vegetables
Almost all vegetables prefer well-drained soil, rich in organic matter slightly acidic side. A safe pH range for almost all vegetables is 6.0 to 6.5 pH. However - there are exceptions to all rules , and optimal results require a more precise tracking and maintenance of soil ph. It's not half as complicated as some people would like to make it sound. The pH requirements listed below give the maximum and minimum range, so long as you stay within these parameters you'll be fine.
| Artichoke | 6.5 -7.5 |
| Asparagus | 6.0 -8.0 |
| Bush Bean | 6.0 -7.5 |
| Beets | 6.0- 7.0 |
| Broccoli | 6.0 - 7.5 |
| Brussels Sprouts | 6.0 - 7.5 |
| Cabbage | 5.8 -6.2 |
| Cantaloupe | 5.5 -7.0 |
| Carrots | 5.5 - 7.5 |
| Cauliflower | 6.0 - 7.0 |
| Celery | 5.5 -6.5 |
| Chicory | 6.0- 7.5 |
| Corn | 5.5 -7.0 |
| Cucumber | 5.5 - 7.5 |
| Eggplant | 5.5 - 6.0 |
| Garlic | 5.5 - 7.5 |
| Horse Radish | 6.0 -7.0 |
| Kale | 6.0 - 7.5 |
| Kohlrabi | 6.0 - 7.5 |
| Leek | 6.0- 8.0 |
| Lentil | 5.5 - 7.0 |
| Lettuce | 6.0- 7.0 |
| Mushroom | 6.5- 7.5 |
| Muskmelon | 5.8 -6.2 |
| Mustard | 6.5 - 7.5 |
| Onion | 6.0 -7.0 |
| Parsnip | 5.5 -7.0 |
| Peas | 6.0- 7.5 |
| Peanuts | 5.0 -6.5 |
| Peppers | 5.5 -7.0 |
| Potato | 4.5 - 6.0 |
| Potato-Sweet | 5.5-6.0 |
| Pumpkin | 5.5-7.5 |
| Radish | 6.0-7.0 |
| Raspberries | 5.6 - 6.2 |
| Rhubarb | 6.0 - 6.8 |
| Shallot | 5.5 -7.0 |
| Soy Bean | 5.5 -6.5 |
| Spinach | 6.0- 7.5 |
| Tomato | 6.0 -6.8 |
| Turnip | 5.5-7.0 |
| Watercress | 5.0 -8.0 |
| Watermelon | 6.0 - 6.8 |
| Amaryllis | 5.5 - 6.5 |
| Baby's Breath | 6.5 - 7.0 |
| Balsam | 6.5 - 7.0 |
| Begonia | 5.5 - 7.5 |
| Caladium | 6.0 - 7.0 |
| Candytuft | 6.5 - 7.0 |
| Canna | 6.0 - 7.0 |
| Carnation | 6.5 - 7.0 |
| Chrysanthemum | 6.0 - 8.0 |
| Cockscomb | 6.0 - 7.5 |
| Coleus | 6.0 - 7.0 |
| Cornflower | 6.0 - 7.5 |
| Cosmos | 6.5 - 7.0 |
| Daffodil | 6.0 - 7.5 |
| Dahlia | 6.5 - 7.0 |
| Day Lily | 5.5- 7.0 |
| Easter Lily | 6.0 - 7.5 |
| Four-O-Clock | 6.0 - 7.5 |
| Foxglove | 6.5 - 7.0 |
| Geranium | 6.0 - 8.0 |
| Gladiolus | 6.5 - 7.0 |
| Hollyhock | 6.0 - 8.0 |
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Iris
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6.5 - 7.0
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Larkspur
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6.5 - 7.0
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Lupine
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6.5 - 7.0
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Marigold
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6.0 - 7.5
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Nasturtium
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6.5 - 7.0
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Narcissus
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6.0 - 7.5
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Pansy
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6.5 - 7.0
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Perwinkle
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6.5 - 7.0
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| Petunia | 6.5 - 7.0 |
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Phlox |
5.0 - 6.0
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Poppy
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6.5 - 7.0
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Salvia
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6.0 - 7.0
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Shasta Daisy
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6.0 - 8.0
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Snapdragon
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6.0 - 7.5
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Sweet Alyssum
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6.5 - 7.0
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Sweetpea
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6.5 - 7.0
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Sweet William
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6.5 - 7.0
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Tuberose
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6.0 - 7.0
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Tulip
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6.0 - 7.0
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Verbena
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6.0 - 8.0
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Zinnia
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5.5 - 7.5
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Very acid (pH 5.0 to 5.8) |
Moderately acid
(pH of 5.5 to 6.8) |
Slightly acid (pH 6.0 to 6.8) |
Very alkaline (pH 7.0 to 8.0) |
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azalea
blueberry celeriac chickory crabapple cranberry eggplant endive heathers huckleberry hydrangea Irish potato lily lupine oak raspberry rhododendron rhubarb shallot sorrel spinach beet spruce wild strawberry sweet potato watermelon white birch |
acacia
bottlebrush cabbage cauliflower celery Chinese cabbage cucumber date palms dusty miller eucalyptus geranium oleander olive periwinkle pinks pomegranate salt cedar tamarisk thyme |