- pH -

In some ways plants are like people. To grow into strong, healthy plants they need five basic requirements for life. These requirements are air, sunlight, water, food and the right type of environment. For a plant, the pH level is more important than people think. Not only do different plants like different soil pH levels, pH affects other factors too. Soil pH can affect nutrient availability. For most plants, the soil needs to have a pH between 6.0 and 6.5 for nutrients to be available. An accurate soil test will indicate your soil's pH level which will specify the amount of lime or sulfur that is needed to bring it up or down to the appropriate level. A pH of 6.5 is just about right for most home gardens, since most plants thrive in the 6.0 to 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral) range. Some plants (blueberries, azaleas) prefer more strongly acidic soil, while a few (ferns, asparagus) do best in soil that is neutral to slightly alkaline. Acidic (sour) soil is counteracted by applying finely ground limestone, and alkaline (sweet) soil is treated with gypsum (calcium sulfate) or ground sulfur.

* pH Index for Vegetables *

Asparagus 6.0-8.0
Beans (pole) 6.0-7.5
Beets 6.0-7.5
Broccoli 6.0-7.0
Brussels sprout 6.0-7.5
Cabbage 6.0-7.0
Carrot 5.5-7.0
Cauliflower 5.5-7.5
Celery 5.8-7.0
Chive 6.0-7.0
Cucumber 5.5-7.0
Garlic 5.5-8.0
Kale 6.0-7.5
Lettuce 6.0-7.0
Peas (sweet) 6.0-7.5
Peppers (sweet) 5.5-7.0
Potatoes 4.8-6.5
Pumpkin 5.5-7.5
Radish 6.0-7.0
Spinach 6.0-7.5
Squash (crookneck) 6.0-7.5
Tomato 5.5-7.5

A pH and Nutrient Soil Tester can be purchased from your local Farmer's Coop. Tomorrow, I will go into greater detail the chemistry of soil ... there is definitely more to it than just being plain ole dirt. ~ Chef ~