Why is soil pH important in the garden?
A lot is made of soil pH. In layman’s terms, pH is a measure of the soil acidity or alkalinity. The scale goes from 1.0 to 14.0, with 7.0 being neutral. The lower the numbers go from 7.0, the more acidic the soil. The higher they go above 7.0, the more alkaline. The reason soil pH matter is that nutrients in the soil are only available to plants if the soil pH is within a certain range. Many plants like a pH in the low slightly acid to neutral range (6.2 to 6.8), but that’s not true for all plants. Azaleas, heathers and blueberries favor very acid soils, and dianthus and baby’s breath will thrive in alkaline or even chalky soil. The only sure-fire way to know where your soil’s pH falls is to have it tested. Keep in mind that it takes time to alter soil pH, and your soil will tend to revert to its old pH over time, necessitating repeated treatment. You can get your soil pH tested at your local county extension service for free. If its pH is off, you will get a recommendation for adding
