How to Make Soil More Acidic
This article will explain how to make soil more acidic for plants that grow better in high acidity.
Each species of plant has specific conditions in which it grows best. These conditions include the amount of light, amount of moisture, the amount and type of nutrients, and the pH level of the soil or other growing medium.Ensuring the correct pH level in the growing medium is important for the health and development of plants. Some plants grow best in acidic conditions, while others prefer alkaline.
Rhododendrons, azaleas, and daffodils are all acid-loving flowers. There are plenty of vegetables that prefer acid soil too, including carrots, onions, blueberries, and cabbage.
How to Find Out the pH Level of Soil
Before attempting to alter your soil pH, you will need to check the pH level. This can be done using a pH testing kit. If the kit reports a pH anywhere in the range of 6.5-7.5 then you have neutral soil. If the test shows your soil is above 7.5 then it is considered alkaline, while below 6.5 is acidic.
How to Make Soil More Acidic For Your Plants
If your soil is particularly alkaline, you will need to increase its acidity in order to successfully grow plant varieties that prefer acidity. To do this you will need to know how to make soil more acidic.
A common way of altering the pH of soil is to use soil amendments. Soil amendments are used to improve soil in one way or another. Amendments can be used to increase nutrients, improve water retention or drainage, and alter the pH level.
Peat moss, sulphur, iron sulphate, and aluminium sulphate are all amendments that will increase the soil’s acidity. Each of these amendments has its advantages and disadvantages. For example, sulphur will increase the acidity of soil for years to come but it takes time to be effective and should be added one year before planting. Iron sulphate, on the other hand, works within weeks but it can more easily damage plants as it is easy to overuse.
Choosing a soil amendment is the first step in knowing how to make soil more acidic, next you need to add the amendment in the correct quantities. As mentioned, with some amendments it can be easy to add too much, resulting in soil that is too acidic. Achieving the correct pH level is a delicate operation and it is possible to overdo it. Soil tests can help to determine the exact amount of amendment to add to achieve the desired pH level.
How to Make Soil More Acidic Using BAC’S pH Solutions
When you knowhow to make soil more acidic using soil amendments you can choose to grow exactly what you want in your garden. However, it may be that you only want to achieve a partial acidity or need to boost the acidity of a plant that is developing a deficiency. For these occasions, a liquid pH solution is optimal.
Using a liquid pH solution, such as BAC’s pH-, you can quickly and easily alter the pH level of your soil or growing medium. pH solutions are fast acting and, as such, are a great way to remedy deficiencies caused by too much acidity or alkalinity in the soil.
BAC offers pH boosting and pH reducing liquid solutions of the highest quality that have been proven to rapidly alter pH levels.
For lowering pH and increasing acidity use pH- (Phosphoric Acid)
For increasing pH and boosting alkalinity use pH+ (Caustic Potash)
