Know Your Soil

You need to find out exactly what type of soil you have in your garden as this will let you understand what your soil needs and what plants you can grow in it. Soils can be acid or alkaline and this will show in a pH test. A pH test is simple and it will tell you, on a scale of 1 to 14, what sort of soil you have. Acid soils have a pH below 7 whilst alkaline soils are higher. Neutral pH is 7 or above.

KNOW YOUR SOIL

Soil test kits are simple to use although they tend to show the pH as a colour not a number. Acid soil shows as yellow-orange, neutral soil turns the solution green and alkaline soil turns it dark green. The kits range in price from a few dollars up to forty dollars or more.

Soil can gradually become acidic due to the decomposition of organic matter or if nitrogen fertilizers are used. Hydrogen ions are produced and these cause calcium, magnesium and potassium to be dislodged from the soil allowing them to be washed away and lost. As the hydrogen ions increase soil becomes more acid.

The essential nutrients available for plant growth alter dramatically as soil gets more acidic. Phosphorus availability is maximal above pH 6.5. Decreasing the pH to 5.5 reduces available phosphorus down to and other essential elements, such as molybdenum and calcium are also reduced quite drastically.

If pH values drop below 5.5 aluminium and manganese levels can build up to toxic quantities. Many disease producing fungi are a lot more active in acidic soils too.

See this (Link to page 3) for more information on the most common types of soil and how to tell what kind of soil you have in your garden.


	Offering a Mowing Service, Compost, Bulbs and Wall Hangers. For Enquiries: Contact Laurie Scott at; Special Organic Soils 118 Heath Lane Clarkefield, (AKA Clarkfield) Victoria 3430 (03) 5428 5404 Name * Address * Phone * E-mail * Message *