Soil pH For Garden Vegetables and Ornamental Plants

• Soil Ph for Fruits and Vegetables
• Soil pH for Common Flowers
• Measuring Soil pH
• Adjusting Soil pH

3-Way Soil Meter is a Battery-free device which allows you to measure the moisture content of the soil, the amount of light the plant receives, and the pH level in the soil. 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.

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.
Measuring Soil pH
It is recommended that you use a relatively inexpensive Soil pH meter, and follow the manufacturers instructions when testing the ph Level of your Gardens soil

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

• 
  To increase your pH by 1.0 point and make your soil more alkaline.
  • Add 4 ounces of hydrated lime per square yard in sandy soils
  • Add 8 ounces of hydrated lime per square yard in loamy soils
  • Add 12 ounces of hydrated lime per square yard in clay soils
  • Add 25 ounces of hydrated lime per square yard in peaty soils
• 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.

• 
  To reduce the soil pH by 1.0 point
  • Mix in 1.2 oz of ground rock sulfur per square yard if the soil is sandy
  • Mix in 3.6 oz per square yard for all other soils.
• 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.

Artichoke6.5 -7.5
Asparagus6.0 -8.0
Bush Bean6.0 -7.5
Beets6.0- 7.0
Broccoli6.0 - 7.5
Brussels Sprouts6.0 - 7.5
Cabbage5.8 -6.2
Cantaloupe5.5 -7.0
Carrots5.5 - 7.5
Cauliflower6.0 - 7.0
Celery5.5 -6.5
Chicory6.0- 7.5
Corn5.5 -7.0
Cucumber5.5 - 7.5
Eggplant5.5 - 6.0
Garlic5.5 - 7.5
Horse Radish6.0 -7.0
Kale6.0 - 7.5
Kohlrabi6.0 - 7.5
Leek6.0- 8.0
Lentil5.5 - 7.0
Lettuce6.0- 7.0
Mushroom6.5- 7.5
Muskmelon5.8 -6.2
Mustard6.5 - 7.5
Onion6.0 -7.0
Parsnip5.5 -7.0
Peas6.0- 7.5
Peanuts5.0 -6.5
Peppers5.5 -7.0
Potato4.5 - 6.0
Potato-Sweet5.5-6.0
Pumpkin5.5-7.5
Radish6.0-7.0
Rhubarb5.5- 7.0
Shallot5.5 -7.0
Soy Bean5.5 -6.5
Spinach6.0- 7.5
Tomato5.5 -7.5
Turnip5.5-7.0
Watercress5.0 -8.0
Watermelon6.0 - 6.8

Soil pH for Common Flowers

Amaryllis5.5 - 6.5
Baby's Breath6.5 - 7.0
Balsam6.5 - 7.0
Begonia5.5 - 7.5
Caladium6.0 - 7.0
Candytuft6.5 - 7.0
Canna6.0 - 7.0
Carnation6.5 - 7.0
Chrysanthemum6.0 - 8.0
Cockscomb 6.0 - 7.5
Coleus6.0 - 7.0
Cornflower6.0 - 7.5
Cosmos6.5 - 7.0
Daffodil6.0 - 7.5
Dahlia6.5 - 7.0
Day Lily5.5- 7.0
Easter Lily6.0 - 7.5
Four-O-Clock6.0 - 7.5
Foxglove6.5 - 7.0
Geranium6.0 - 8.0
Gladiolus6.5 - 7.0

Hollyhock6.0 - 8.0

Petunia6.5 - 7.0

a lot of the ph meters on amazon.com have bad reviews. do you know, if any, which ones are worth spending the money on? i bought a soil ph tester where you gather a soil sample and mix it with some included powder, add water and match the color with a given color guide. i feel like this isn't working because it always just comes up a light muddy brown color. is there a cheap ph meter where u just kinda stick it in the ground?

__________________
- durban poison x skunk #1 & california orange

Hey dude, try one of these, Milwaukee Instruments pen or
Hanna pen.
Peace

i couldn't find prices for milwaukee instruments but the hanna pen is wayyyyy out of my price range. i just don't think $249.00 is a little steep to measure pH.

__________________
- durban poison x skunk #1 & california orange

Geez dude, thats a rip.
eBay: Hanna Champ PH pen (item 120109553874 end time Apr-22-07 22:18:29 PDT)

Heres the milwakee at about $25.00 bucks.
eBay: Digital pH TESTER PEN Test pH levels Pools, Spa pH600 (item 170101791850 end time Apr-24-07 18:00:00 PDT)

Q...if your water/feed/nutes is spot on and your useing a type of soil that is just for growing marijuana.. does that mean you do not have to worry about the soil ph? as how else can it change

thanks

Well I suppose if the chronic septers are perfectly aligned with the moon......
Just messing with ya!
Dude, you always need to be aware of your ph.
I would say that PH accounts for about 20% of
your having a successful grow.
Peace

I have a ph pen.. and will be useing this every time i water, so that will be spot on at 6.8, So anything I add is at the right ph for the plant/s then how will the soil change?

still learning

thanks

If not all of the nutrients are absorbed by your plant then there will be some left over the next time you add your feed, etc, etc...

You don't need to do this all the time, maybe once or twice per indoor season. It will help your yield loads if the ph is messed up and you can correct it.