WHAT IS PH AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
Ph is the relative acidity or alkalinity of the soil. It uses a logarithmic scale which goes from 1.0 to 14.0. 7.0 is neutral. The lower the number below 7.0, the more acidic the soil is. Most plants like soil in the range between 6.0 and 7.0, except for really acid loving plants such as blueberries, or rhododendrons. Roses usually like soil best between 6.5 and 6.8. Alkaline soil above 7.0 can be very difficult to correct. IIn our area, soil is quite often overly acid due to leaching by our abundance of rain. Acid soil can be corrected by adding one of several types of limestone. This treatment usually takes several months to take effect, so is put on in the late fall or winter when it can be rained in. A ph test should be taken before treatment. You can either send a sample to a lab, use litmus test strips, or use one of the good ph testers on the market.
