Monday, January 10, 2005

Soil Level Requirements

I am always talking of plants and gardening,however;one way to ensure you have healthy plants and vegetables is check your soil levels. By doing this you will then know if your soil needs more of something or less of something.

ph levels acid or alkaline

Most gardeners have the task of improving their soil so it supports good plant growth, has water holding capacity, proper aeration, good drainage and also supports soil-organism activity.

Yearly applications of manure, leaves, leaf mold, humus, peat moss or any other vegetable matter is a definite physical soil benefit, and helps build up any soil. Other factors to improving your soil include the use of commercial fertilizers and lime.


Lime is a soil conditioner that helps soil bacteria become more active, aids the decomposition of soil particles, and helps bring your soil to the proper condition for optimum plant growth.

Each plant has its proper degree of soil lime-content for best growth. Some plants need very little or no lime, others may need small or moderate amounts, and still others may need large amounts of lime or sweet soils.


Soils that contain very little lime are called acid (sour); those which contain lots of lime are called alkaline (sweet). To determine the acidity of your soil, you should have a pH test done. In these test, the hydrogen ions in the soil are measured and expressed in a number from 1-14.

A pH reading of 6.9 or lower is considered acid, a reading of pH 7.1 or higher is alkaline, and neutral soil has a reading of pH 7.


That's it for today.
Happy gardening!

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