Hydrogen potential (pH) is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. It is very important to take it into account when plants are grown as there are some that grow better in acid soils, called acidophilic plants, and others that grow better in those that are alkaline.
Therefore, we are going to tell you how to correct soil pH so that, in this way, your precious plants can develop without problems.
Measure the pH of your garden
Image - Vitroplantas.mx
First of all, the first thing to do is know what pH the earth has where you want to have the plants. It can be done at home, spending very little money, since you will only need:
- Distilled water
- Pala
- Plastic container
- PH strips (they are sold in pharmacies, hardware stores, hypermarkets, or online stores).
You will see that the strips have several colors to which a number corresponds: from 1 to 14, with 7 being the one corresponding to neutral pH.
Once you have it all, it's time to analyze the earth:
- Divide your garden into squares of 1 or 2m2.
- Collect samples from each square to a minimum depth of 45cm. If you plan to grow trees, you will have to go deeper: between 60 and 80cm.
- Now, mix all the samples evenly.
- Then mix the soil and water in equal parts.
- Stir until a paste forms, and let it sit for a couple of hours.
- Finally, insert the pH strip and see what color it takes.
How to lower the pH of the soil?
Blond peat, substrate that acidifies the earth.
Image - nordtorf.eu
If the pH of your soil is too high, that is, if it has a number of 7 or higher, you may want to lower it a bit, right? For this, I recommend that mix the earth with blond peat, which has an acid pH. Put a 4-5cm layer all over, and redo a pH test after 5-6 months.
In case you don't want to wait so long you can add aluminum sulfate to the groundas it lowers the pH as soon as it dissolves. The amount you should use varies depending on the pH of the soil, but in general terms 0,5kg of aluminum sulfate is enough to lower a point on the pH scale in a 1m square patch of soil.
How to raise the pH of the soil?
Potassium carbonate, perfect for raising the pH.
Image – Ar.all.biz
If the pH of your soil is too low, that is, if it has a number of 5 or lower, you will have to raise it if you want to grow plants that do not like acid soils, such as carob or almond. To do this, the fastest and most effective way is by using Potassium carbonate that you will find for sale in herbalists or pharmacies. It is very soluble, so it can be applied by drip irrigation.
The only drawback is that the pH must be kept below 7 to avoid clogging the emitter, but otherwise, you just have to take one small quantity (a small spoonful is usually enough) in the water to raise the pH.
We hope that these tips will help you correct the pH of the soil in your garden 🙂.