How to Test your Soil pH

Soil pH determines a plant's ability to absorb nutrients. When the pH is off (too high or too low), the nutrients in the soil become locked up and unavailable. On the pH scale 7 is neutral, less than 7 is acidic and more than 7 is alkaline. The majority of plants prefer neutral soil therefore it is very important to determine the pH of your soil prior to planting. There are a variety of ways to test your soil.

How to test your soil pH balance:

• Smell and taste the soil: An acid soil will be sour.
• Place a soil sample in a jar of vinegar: If the vinegar bubbles, the soil is sweet and neutral and planting may commence.
• Purchase a soil pH test kit: Comes with detailed instructions and can be found at your local nursery.

How to Fix your Soil pH:

• Sweeten a sour or acid soul by raising the pH. Incorporate agricultural lime.
• Balance an alkaline soil by lowering the pH. Incorporate sulfur or cottonseed meal.

Vegetables and herbs that require sweet soil: asparagus, beets, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, chard, lavender, leeks, nasturtiums, onions, rosemary, spinach, sweet peas and thyme.

Vegetables, fruit and herbs that require acid soil: apple, blueberries, brambleberries, carrots, eggplant, parsley, potato, pumpkin and tomato.

In addition to balancing your soil pH, you should also know that you should not plant the same vegetable or crop in the same location as the previous harvest. If you do plant something in the same place, you will need to add nutrients to the soil since the previous harvest will have removed or added other nutrients that could hinder the growth and development of the new crop.