Getting your pH right!

The first step to getting the pH ( figure expressing the acidity or alkalinity of a solution on a logarithmic scale on which 7 is neutral, lower values are more acid, and higher values more alkaline) of your soil right, is to measure the soil’s pH. This is as simple of making a50/50 mixture of soil and deionised water, waiting 5 minutes and then dipping a pH strip into the mixture. These inexpensive strips are available from Plant Health Solutions in a form that measures finer graduations than normal. You are seeking a pH of 6.4 for optimal plant health growth. It is always important to try to understand why your soil is acidic or alkaline.

The best option is a soil test so there is no guess work involved. If you have acreage, a soil test can be worth its weight in gold. It is common to waste huge amounts of precious time, driving blind in an acreage gardening project, when a soil test would immediately clarify options and strategies.

If you can’t justify a soil test then these guidelines may assist you to diagnose the source of your pH imbalance:

If you have a light, sandy soil that is acidic, then you probably need a mixture of calcium and magnesium (dolomite) to correct the imbalance.

If it is heavier soil with more clay component then you probably need limestone to alkalise the soil and you might choose to include some gypsum to help break up the clay. If the soil is heavy and alkaline, then there is probably too much magnesium and sodium, so gypsum is the correction of choice.