Soil pH advice!

[plantsbypost.com]

They are just trying to impress. Keep it simple!

I test for pH twice weekly and adjust the fertiliser and ratios accordingly to get the pH for optimal growth, but then i am using specialised fertiliser and proportional injectors and am growing on a large scale so it is worth the effort.

Sometimes it's a lot easier to grow on a large scale, for me trying do the veg plot at home is a nightmare.

Neil

[lynda66]

well i tested my soil today, cos i wanted to see how it is, partly cos i have blueberries, and some things didn't grow too well last year, anyway i think i have an inkling now as to why ..... my soil ph is 10 ..... which apparently isn't good, so other than covering the garden with vinegar, what can i add to make it more neutral??

[zazen999]

Lynda - have you also tested tap water as a comparison?

[Snadger]

Selfraising - I have never tested my home soil for pH and never will...why are you doing this?

Oy you! There's nowt the matter with testing your soil if you so wish.I haven't tested mine either as yet, but I'm going to.

One of my plots was let to a chimney sweep at some time in the past and the soil is very black, but I would like to see what his neverending dressings of soot have done for not only the Ph but also the NPK.

You yourself, are doing moon gardening experiments so don't dis anyone who is doing a scientific soil analysis!

Granted, if you're any sort of gardener you should have an idea of what the Ph and NPK are judging by what grows well and what doesn't.

After doing a soil analysis though on my last plot I found out it was hugely defficient in Potassium but had enough Phosphates to see out my lifetime.

I altered the fertiliser regime and bingo, I started to get better crops.

Don't dis technology for goodness sake or else we'd all be living in caves and pushing wheelbarows around with square wheels!

*gets down off podium*

[lynda66]

Lynda - have you also tested tap water as a comparison?

yup, my tap water is neutral

[Snadger]

well i tested my soil today, cos i wanted to see how it is, partly cos i have blueberries, and some things didn't grow too well last year, anyway i think i have an inkling now as to why ..... my soil ph is 10 ..... which apparently isn't good, so other than covering the garden with vinegar, what can i add to make it more neutral??

Sounds like someones either tipped a bag of lime on your land, buried some plasterboard, or you're colourblind!

[lynda66]

and lemon juice is 2-3

[lynda66]

Sounds like someones either tipped a bag of lime on your and, buried some plasterboard, or you're colourblind!

cheeky sod, i'm not colourblind lol, ........ the woman who had the house from being built had it paved, then the woman after that had it turfed, the houses were built on a brickworks, so the base is basically clay, bricks and the odd bit of coal, with 6 -12 inches of soil on top, which is getting deeper.

the lawn never grew well on the front, i assumed because of the leatherjackets infesting it, that problem is now sorted, but things still haven't grown too well

[Snadger]

and lemon juice is 2-3

There's your answer then, use a lemon mulch!

[lynda66]

hmmmmm wonder where i can get 2,000,000 lemons from

[lynda66]

i did test 4 areas of the garden too, to compare, they are all the same don't even want to test the back garden now, i'm never gonna get blueberries at this rate

[Snadger]

hmmmmm wonder where i can get 2,000,000 lemons from

Think i'll take the 5th on that one!

[selfraising]

Lynda66 I have two blueberry bushes but have them in containers which seems to work well, you could try that. What about adding ericacious (don't think I've spellt it right) compost to the soil and see if it makes a difference over time.

[Snadger]

Theoretically Lynda, IF your tap water is neutral..............if you leave the hose on and flood the garden.........then let it dry, you should bring the ph down considerably!

[selfraising]

Awwww thanks Snadger for sticking up for me. I'm pretty new to all this gardening stuff.
How do you find out what nutrients (potassium etc) you have in the soil?