12
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What does ash do to the PH of soil?
The carbonates and oxides that are left by the burning of wood can be used to neutralise acidic soil as wood ash is highly basic.
It will contain all the elements that were present in the wood except ...
- 23.1k
9
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What does ash do to the PH of soil?
Assuming this is wood ash from a wood burning stove.
As a rule of thumb, wood ash contains 15-30% Calcium Carbonate (Lime), 3-8% Potassium (Carbonate and other salts), 1-3% Phosphorus and other trace ...
- 3,943
8
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Is Coca Cola bad for Nightshades and curcubits?
Fertilizer is commonly rated with an NPK ratio. The P stands for phosphorus (technically, P2O5), and it is the amount (percent by weight) of the fertilizer. So in a bag of fertilizer that is rated 4-...
- 1,585
7
votes
Developing new soil for gardening
There's no particular reason to think the nutrient level would be high - the only way to know is to do a soil test - contact your local agricultural extension office and get a soil test kit, follow ...
- 23.2k
7
votes
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Help me decide in a location for my raised bed garden
Full sun - most vegetables like as much sun as possible, although in very, very hot countries, some shade from the midday sun may be beneficial.The berries falling doesn't matter either way, but they'...
- 132k
7
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How can I measure the pH of my soil?
Measuring the pH of soil is cheap and super easy (I do this often).
Get a (plastic) bowl.
Put a sample of soil in it.
Add distilled (not rain or tap) water and mix it to the consistency of a milk ...
- 1,585
7
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How can I measure the pH of my soil?
The best way is to get a soil test. If you can find a COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE via the closest University, it is cheap and possibly free. Otherwise there are cheap tests like the ones used for ...
- 40.2k
6
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Developing new soil for gardening
If you are gardening for fun not for profit, its not that important to focus that much on "PH".
Your land is unique. You can't come up with the perfect solution the first year. It will take time ...
- 3,740
6
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What makes Ammonium Sulfate a soil acidifier but not Potassium Sulfate
Good question, I understand the confusion about sulphur and sulphate. But chemically they are different and have different chemical reactions. Even different sulphate salts do not react the same, and ...
- 13.1k
5
votes
Blueberries in concrete block bed
Standard recommendation for 50 years or more (I have old books) has been to line concrete beds that will be used for acid-loving plants. In days of yore that would have been tar/asphalt type material -...
- 23.2k
5
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Is it possible to modify soil pH with plants?
In short, no, it isn't possible to alter your soil's ph by growing particular plants - if your soil is chalky, choose alkaline loving plants to grow in it and avoid acid lovers, or grow those in pots ...
- 132k
5
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Is it possible to graft miracle fruit to a rootstock that tolerates alkaline soil?
Miracle fruit (Synsepalum dulcificum) belongs to the Sapotaceae family, and you'd need host roots from a plant within that family, though whether there are any suitable or compatible isn't something I ...
- 132k
4
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Are there plants that add acid to soil naturally?
About the only thing that will acidify soil over a period of years, and keep it so, are certain trees, mostly conifers, though it varies between species. The variation is accounted for by the presence ...
- 132k
4
votes
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Mistake - should have used ericaceous compost
Well, if you only did it yesterday, it's not a problem - what could be a major problem is surrounding the rootball with manure. Go and get some ericaceous compost if you don't have any. Turn the ...
- 132k
4
votes
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Planting moderately acidophilic plant under the rain downspout
This is an easy one. Downspouts are usually next to concrete foundations and having the water flowing over a concrete shield...alkaline. The lime in concrete affects the soil near the foundation ...
- 40.2k
4
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What are the cons of using aluminum sulfate and elemental sulfur as soil acidifiers?
Lowering soil ph isn't a one off treatment - it needs to be ongoing, with frequent soil tests to check its not getting too low. Sulphur is the safest from a planting point of view, but takes longer to ...
- 132k
4
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Plants for under blue spruce tree
A chunk of my garden is acidic, mostly dry shade, so here's what does well for me:
Groundcovers: Lingonberries (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) - may require more water than you have under the trees, ...
- 18.6k
4
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Lowering Soil pH with Diluted Sulphuric Acid
IMO the only place 93% sulphuric acid belongs is in a chemistry lab or an industrial plant. It is a very hazardous material.
Using sulphuric acid directly at any concentration is probably a bad idea, ...
- 11.4k
4
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What makes Ammonium Sulfate a soil acidifier but not Potassium Sulfate
Ammonium sulfate is a strong acid and a weak base , in very basic terms. "strong " means fully ionized ; "weak" means partially ionized so not providing as much acid (H) or base (...
- 8,626
3
votes
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How to pH test mulch and compost?
Take a handful and mix it in a cup of distilled water or some other low mineral water. Stir and let it settle, then check pH of the water. Quantities are not critical. I use bromthymol blue—it is a ...
- 8,626
3
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Developing new soil for gardening
I can offer up two suggestions to enrich your soil. The first option is to mix horse manure and chicken manure (3:1) in your existing soil. I use store bought manure but since you are planning to use ...
- 7,894
3
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Can I ignore soil pH and just give blueberries chelated iron?
The crux is that its not just about the amount of iron in the soil. It has to be in a form that the plants can absorb.
Plants mainly acquire Fe from the rhizosphere. Although Fe is one of
the ...
- 509
3
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Can I ignore soil pH and just give blueberries chelated iron?
You could apply a foliar spray of chelated iron once or twice a season, but that's not fixing the problem which is the soil pH is not allowing the plant to access the nutrients in the correct ...
- 23.1k
3
votes
Are there plants that add acid to soil naturally?
Acidic soils are great for potatoes, blueberries, hydrangea...but most vegetables do better in more neutral soils. There are no plants that actually DECREASE the pH of the soil PER SE. Whenever ...
- 40.2k
3
votes
What would cause the pH of a hydroponic system to go up when the lights go off?
Pretty cool system you have there, it looks very sophisticated! You say that the lights go off at midnight and back on at 6 am. You can indeed see a bit of rise in pH during that time, but I see more ...
- 13.1k
3
votes
What element is needed to turn Hydrangea flowers blue?
You want to acidify your soil, so sulfur because that is used to make sulfuric acid.
- 8,866
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Lowering Soil pH with Diluted Sulphuric Acid
Last winter I planted 40 bushes (2 each of 20 varieties) in my blueberry patch - 4 rows of 10. I had prepared the soil with elemental sulfur (about 5 lbs per row) the previous fall, but it wasn't ...
3
votes
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Least expensive way to prevent high pH leaching into blueberry root zone
The fact that all of the possibilities that you've mentioned in your question will break down over time means that, long-term, they're probably not great solutions (the only exception is the 35 gallon ...
- 18.6k
3
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Least expensive way to prevent high pH leaching into blueberry root zone
Something like pond liner will isolate a trench or individual pit (at the cost of needing more for equivalent area in pits than as a trench) (you need drainage holes in it, hopefully obviously.) I ...
- 23.2k
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