Having just tested my allotment soil, it was coming out at a ph of
about 8+, however I didn't have distilled water to hand so possibly
the local water skewed the true reading, is this likely, the water on
it's own was fairly alkaline?.
Anyhow, should it be required, what do you add to the soil to make it
more acidic?

Many thanks

Peter

On Fri, 22 Feb 2008 09:40:09 -0800 (PST),
wrote and included this (or some of
this):

Having just tested my allotment soil, it was coming out at a ph of
about 8+, however I didn't have distilled water to hand so possibly
the local water skewed the true reading, is this likely, the water on
it's own was fairly alkaline?.
Anyhow, should it be required, what do you add to the soil to make it
more acidic?


Anne Robinson?

--
®óñ© © ²°¹°-°²

In article dd1cac64-ff77-4a69-aa26-
,
says...
Having just tested my allotment soil, it was coming out at a ph of
about 8+, however I didn't have distilled water to hand so possibly
the local water skewed the true reading, is this likely, the water on
it's own was fairly alkaline?.
Anyhow, should it be required, what do you add to the soil to make it
more acidic?

Many thanks

Peter

Yes the water has a big effect, and I thought for Veggies that alkaline
soil was better? anyway you can alter soil to make it more alkaline (add
lime) but it is next to impossible to go the other way. although lots of
organic matter may make it slightly more acid
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

On Feb 23, 9:52�am, Charlie Pridham
wrote:
In article dd1cac64-ff77-4a69-aa26-
,
says... Having just tested my allotment soil, it was coming out at a ph of
about 8+, however I didn't have distilled water to hand so possibly
the local water skewed the true reading, is this likely, the water on
it's own was fairly alkaline?.
Anyhow, should it be required, what do you add to the soil to make it
more acidic?

Many thanks

Peter

Yes the water has a big effect, and I thought for Veggies that alkaline
soil was better? anyway you can alter soil to make it more alkaline (add
lime) but it is next to impossible to go the other way. although lots of
organic matter may make it slightly more acid
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwallwww.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

I think some veg, namely potatoes, prefer a more acidic soil, but I'm
not concerned, I'll be planting a wide variety of veg and see what
happens. I was curious as much as anything, mainly because the few
books I have, don't say anything at all about how to make the soil
more acidic, the replies here explain why.

Many thanks

Peter

Steve Wolstenholme wrote:
On Fri, 22 Feb 2008 09:40:09 -0800 (PST),
wrote:

Having just tested my allotment soil, it was coming out at a ph of
about 8+, however I didn't have distilled water to hand so possibly
the local water skewed the true reading, is this likely, the water on
it's own was fairly alkaline?.
Anyhow, should it be required, what do you add to the soil to make it
more acidic?

Many thanks

Peter

Peter,

You can make soil more acid with an annual dose of Sequestrine of
Iron.

The easiest way to make it more acid is to only use rain water and
just wait for a few years!

Steve



http://www.rhs.org.uk/Learning/Resea...ts/acid_pH.htm

On Feb 23, 4:47Â*pm, wrote:
On Feb 23, 9:52�am, Charlie Pridham
wrote:



In article dd1cac64-ff77-4a69-aa26-
,
says... Having just tested my allotment soil, it was coming out at a ph of
about 8+, however I didn't have distilled water to hand so possibly
the local water skewed the true reading, is this likely, the water on
it's own was fairly alkaline?.
Anyhow, should it be required, what do you add to the soil to make it
more acidic?

Many thanks

Peter

Yes the water has a big effect, and I thought for Veggies that alkaline
soil was better? anyway you can alter soil to make it more alkaline (add
lime) but it is next to impossible to go the other way. although lots of
organic matter may make it slightly more acid
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwallwww.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

I think some veg, namely potatoes, prefer a more acidic soil, but I'm
not concerned, I'll be planting a wide variety of veg and see what
happens. I was curious as much as anything, mainly because the few
books I have, don't say anything at all about how to make the soil
more acidic, the replies here explain why.

Many thanks

Peter

the two suggestions I was given, alkali sandy soil, were loads of
manure, or potassium sulphate, the sulphate will hang about in another
salt while the potassium leeches away.

In article ,
says...
On Fri, 22 Feb 2008 09:40:09 -0800 (PST),
wrote:

Having just tested my allotment soil, it was coming out at a ph of
about 8+, however I didn't have distilled water to hand so possibly
the local water skewed the true reading, is this likely, the water on
it's own was fairly alkaline?.
Anyhow, should it be required, what do you add to the soil to make it
more acidic?

Many thanks

Peter

Peter,

You can make soil more acid with an annual dose of Sequestrine of
Iron.

Steve


That certainly helps with some acid loving shrubs and trees but it does
not make the soil more acid and only benifits those plants which have
trouble getting enough iron on alkaline soils, and as anyone who has
tried will tell you on truly acid soils its an up hill struggle and the
plants never do that well. If you realy want acid soil - Move!
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

Steve Wolstenholme wrote:
On Fri, 22 Feb 2008 09:40:09 -0800 (PST),
wrote:

Having just tested my allotment soil, it was coming out at a ph of
about 8+, however I didn't have distilled water to hand so possibly
the local water skewed the true reading, is this likely, the water on
it's own was fairly alkaline?.
Anyhow, should it be required, what do you add to the soil to make it
more acidic?

Many thanks

Peter

Peter,

You can make soil more acid with an annual dose of Sequestrine of
Iron.

Iron sequestrene has no effect on soil acidity. It is simply a soluble form
of iron which can be taken up by plants in less than ideal (ie alkaline)
conditions. See the link in Stuart Noble's post for things which can
acidify soil.


The easiest way to make it more acid is to only use rain water and
just wait for a few years!


It's also the cheapest!

--
Jeff
(cut "thetape" to reply)

"Jeff Layman" wrote in message
Steve Wolstenholme wrote:

Having just tested my allotment soil, it was coming out at a ph of
about 8+, however I didn't have distilled water to hand so possibly
the local water skewed the true reading, is this likely, the water on
it's own was fairly alkaline?.
Anyhow, should it be required, what do you add to the soil to make it
more acidic?

You can make soil more acid with an annual dose of Sequestrine of
Iron.

Iron sequestrene has no effect on soil acidity. It is simply a soluble
form of iron which can be taken up by plants in less than ideal (ie
alkaline) conditions. See the link in Stuart Noble's post for things
which can acidify soil.

This situation has recently been covered in the TV show 'Gardening
Australia'. The specific situation was that very alkaline water was causing
problems in a garden. The show had previously visited the garden and the
roses were getting scorched leaf margins as a direct result of the
alkalinity. Water used on the garden came from a bore and had a pH of 8.5.
Apparently spreading Sulphur in all areas of the garden fixed the problem
(this is a big garden).
http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s2169781.htm

On Feb 24, 10:59*am, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Sat, 23 Feb 2008 10:53:07 -0800 (PST), misterroy

wrote:

the two suggestions I was given, alkali sandy soil, were loads of
manure, or potassium sulphate, the sulphate will hang about in another
salt while the potassium leeches away.

The manure I can understand, but it's effect would be slow and it
would require prolonged application.

But I'm struggling to see why potassium sulphate should have any
effect at all even on neutral soils, let alone chalky ones where you'd
need to add so much potassium sulphate that the soil would be unfit
for cultivation, even assuming it was capable of working as you say.
But I'm sceptical about the chemistry of your explanation.

I suppose the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Did you try
either suggestion, and if so, what happened?

--

Chris

Gardening in West Cornwall overlooking the sea.
Mild, but very exposed to salt gales

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

Hi, I have tried neither yet, only discovered my alkalinity a month
ago, I am going the manure root though. I'm on a sandy soil with large
amount of shells in it so my calcium content is a bit more limited
than a chalk soil.