Soil must have the right pH level for successful growth. The scale ranges from 0 (acidic) to 14 (alkaline). Read more from Green As It Gets™

Definition of Soil pH

Soil pH is an indication of the level of acidity or alkalinity and is measured in units. In other words, it is defined as the negative logarithm of the hydrogen ion concentration. The scale goes from 0 to 14, while seven (7) is the neutral point. GO HERE to read more about these pH levels from State University of New York’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

Know Your Soil’s pH!

Before you start a garden or plant a lawn, be sure to check your soil’s pH. If you measure the soil and see that it is too acidic or too alkaline, then you need to  bring that pH closer to a seven. At the same time, some plants require more acidic soil while some require more alkaline soil. For example evergreens, azaleas and blueberries love acidic soil while strawberry trees, lavender and winter veggies thrive in alkaline soil.

Since this is the case, be sure to research and read about the trees and flowers you are considering for your garden or flowerbeds. This way you can work on getting the soil pH needed to accommodate the needs of your plants. To put it another way, planning is everything! In case you missed it, carefully plan your garden or landscape before you plant anything!😁 Your planning should always begin with the soil.

Points to Remember

• Lower pH is more acidic, higher pH is more alkaline and a pH of 7 is neutral.
• A pH that is too high or too low can limit or even prohibit a plant’s or tree’s ability to absorb nutrients.
• Most plants prefer soil with a pH level near 7, or neutral.

Learn More from Green As It Gets™!

Click on or tap any of these buttons for the subject you’d like to learn more about!

• Trace Elements
• Plant Nutrition
• Planting Depth
• Soil Compaction
• Rhizosphere
• Mycorrhizae
• Beneficial Bacteria
• Watering