pH of Soil

Now that my plants are starting to bloom I have the growing concern of how the will do when I transplant them to my backyard.   Sure they're doing great here with warm conditions and miracle grow potting soil.  But my yard is not made of miracle grow potting soil.   Its dusty stuff where you have to water very slowy for the water to soak into the dirt.  Otherwise it will just slide across the top.

Burpee Soil Tester

I've been reading that a good gardener knows the pH of their soil.  So I set out to determine the pH of the soil in my backyard.   Now before hand I had already found a website from a gardening club in El Paso.  The El Paso Master Gardeners.   I picked up some neat tips from the website especially for a tomato plant.  There they mention the pH of soil in El Paso.  It has a pH between a 7.5 and 8.   Now I'm no expert but here is what I've learned through research.   A pH of 7 is neutral soil.  Anything higher means the soild has alkaline.   Anything lower means the soil is acidic.  So my soil is probably alkaline.   To be sure I decided to purchase one of those pH meters for $20.  I followed the instructions on the packaging.    I dug a hole removing the top 2 inches of soil and loosened the dirt 6 inches below then soaked with distilled water so that it was muddy.   I put the meter in on one part of my garden and the pH was 6.5 and in another part it was 7.   I thought this was odd.  I was pretty sure my soil was alkaline because of what the El Paso Master Gardeners had posted on their website.  So I had found this other neat website instructing how to test soil if it is acidic or alkaline.   Basically if it is alkaline it will have a reaction to vinegar.   If it is acidic it will have a reaction to baking soda mixed in water.  So I did my little science experiment and sure enough I saw a fizz in the soil as it swelled up when I added vinegar.   No reaction with the backing soda.  That little meter had said my soil was neutral or acidic.   Needless to say that pH meter is going back to the store.   I've researched a bit and most people agree that the pH meters with the metal rods don't work.   I'm yet another person who agrees.  So next time I'm buying a different kit that reacts to chemicals and will turn to a certain color based on the pH.  Those sound more accurate by what I have read different people on the internet have used.   There has been no bad rep on those yet.   So my advise, don't buy a pH meter.

So why all this hype about soil pH?  Basically all the plants that I will be gardening prefer a neutral to acidic pH.   That's not to say they won't grow in alkaline soil.  A lot of them have plenty of tolerance but if I can do something about this why not.  Why do plants prefer a different pH.  My understanding is that at their preferred pH they are better able to absorb the nutrients they need from the soil.   If those soil's pH is out of the plants tolerance level even if fertilizers are applied they won't be able to absorb the nutrients.  This is what I've read.   If you want to know more, Google it. 

Now, to remedy my soil pH.   I have a few options.   To lower soil pH I can add sulfur, peat moss or vinegar to the soil.   Peat moss and vinegar are pretty easy to get, but sulfur?  I've looked at some gardening centers and haven't found anything that outright says sulfur.   I've seen a few fertilizers that include it as one of the ingredients.   Peat Moss is common and I read it has a very low pH.   But just think of how much peat moss I would need to buy to mix into my garden.  Vinegar is easily available and cheap, but if I put to much my garden will smell like vinegar and burn all my plants.   If used, I will use a lot of caution with this one.  Oh there is one other option.   Pine needles.   This is neat.   If I get a chance to go to Ruidoso, NM this year, I'll be sure to bring home a bag full of pine needles.  And I suppose the little pine I have in the corner of my yard can't hurt either.    So those are my options.  I haven't decided yet and will do plenty of research before applying any of them.   Okay except the peat moss.  I don't mind playing with that.

When I get my little lab kit to test the soil with colors I will be sure to let you know the results.