How to make soil more alkaline?
How to make soil more alkaline? When your plants are not growing and thriving as they should and you have considered other plausible causes, the problem might be your soil pH level. When your soil pH is too low this can cause a variety of problems, such as nutrient deficiency or aluminium toxicity. You can counter this by making your soil more alkaline. This article will discuss the following points:
- How to make soil more alkaline?: soil pH
- How to make soil more alkaline?: pros and cons of altering soil pH
- How to make soil more alkaline?: step by step guide
How to make soil more alkaline:soil pH
If you think you need to make your soil more alkaline, it is always good to go back to the basics of soil pH, to better grasps how it might be affecting your plants. PH is measured on a scale from 1 to 14, the lower on the scale the more acidic something is. A pH of 7 is neutral and a pH of 14 is the most alkaline. Different crops will prefer different soil pH levels, but most plants like a soil pH that is slightly acidic. The majority of plants can tolerate or will thrive in a soil pH between around 6 – 7 pH. There are some plants and vegetables that prefer alkaline soil, such as asparagus, onion and garlic. You can read more about soil pH by clicking here. It is important to keep in mind that different plants will prefer different pH levels.
How to make soil more alkaline?: pros and cons of altering soil pH
Attempting to alter your soil’s pH is, of course, possible but if these changes are too drastic it might be advisable to grow crops that prefer a pH closer to the one you have. As drastically changing your soil’s pH might not always be realistic and could be damaging. If you have any doubts about how to make soil more alkaline or if you need any personalised advice you can always get in touch with our knowledge centre for personalised advise. Our expert staff would be happy to answer any questions you might have. Here are some pros and cons you might want to consider when altering soil pH:
- Making drastic changes to soil pH could be damaging to your soil structure and health, especially when done incorrectly
- Having the right soil pH is crucial for healthy plant growth and blooming
how to make soil more alkaline: step by step guide
Once you are sure you want to increase your soil’s pH you might want to know: how to make soil more alkaline? Here is a step by step guide:
- Always start by performing a soil pH test. You want to be sure it is really necessary to lower soil pH before you start altering it.
- Check if the crops you are growing are incompatible with your current soil pH, if this is the case then it is not unlikely that the pH level is the cause of your troubles.
- Look for sources that might have caused the undesirable pH level, determine if they are permanent or temporary and if you can exclude them. Temporary weather changes such as heavy rainfall can affect your pH, but so can the fertiliser or compost you are using.
- Use an additive such as BAC online soil pH+ to make your soil more alkaline.
