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What is the ideal soil PH for plants? The answer to this question is not so simple, but I shall try to simplify this explanation and tell you what is the perfect or the ideal Soil PH for most plants and also 10 organic or natural ways to soil amendment and make your soil acidic or to the desired level.
Understanding Soil pH
Let’s begin with a simple explanation. I assume that most of us know what pH is. For those who want it more simplified, pH is a number or value ranging from 0 to 14. A pH of 7, which is the middle of the scale, is considered neutral. Anything below 7 is called acidic or sour in layman’s terms, while anything above 7 is called alkaline or sweet.
Ideal Soil pH for Plants
Without going into too much depth, we’ll get straight to the point. What is the ideal or desired soil pH for most plants? How do you measure it and adjust it to the desired level?
The ideal soil pH could make a huge difference and is an important step for those looking to grow bountiful gardens. Most nutrient absorption at the root level happens at this pH. You may be adding a lot of fertilizers and supplements regularly, but if you’re still seeing poor results and anaemic plants, you should suspect an issue with the soil pH—either it’s not favorable to your plant or the plant is unable to adapt to the pH changes.
For most plants, the ideal pH is slightly acidic, around 6.5 plus or minus 0.2. This doesn’t mean plants cannot grow outside this range. Forests with lots of vegetation and rain tend to produce acidic soils, whereas dry and arid zones like deserts are more likely to be alkaline.
Testing Soil pH at Home
To test soil pH at home, every hobby gardener should have a pH testing tool. There are a wide range of soil pH meters, including digital meters with varying costs. This one is inexpensive and does the job for me. You can decide on purchasing this by reading my reviews of the best PH soil Testers.
Adjusting Soil pH
How do I adjust my soil pH if it’s too alkaline or neutral to achieve the ideal pH around 6.5? Or a better question is, how do I make the soil more acidic, especially for acid-loving plants? You can check out my video on the list of acid-loving plants.
Top 10 natural ways to Modify Soil pH:
Rain Water
If it’s rainy season and the soil is neutral or alkaline, you need not do anything. Just check the soil pH after rains. Rain makes the soil naturally acidic.
Good Compost in Your Soil
This is a basic requirement. At least 20 to 30 percent of your soil or potting mix should include well-decomposed manure like cow dung, horse dung, leaf compost, or vermicompost. This alone is usually sufficient to achieve the desired pH value. If you add compost to your soil now, you’ll need to wait for at least a month or two to see the pH change effect, as this is a gradual process.
Vinegar
White vinegar, about 1 teaspoon per liter of water, can be used to lower soil pH. Watering with this solution thoroughly once a month can help. It’s always better to check the soil pH before and after application.
Coffee Grounds or Tea Waste
The tannic acid in coffee grounds or tea waste can slightly lower soil pH. You can watch a separate video on this topic HERE.
Lemon Juice
Some recommend adding 1-2 teaspoons of lemon juice per liter of water and using this solution to water your plants once a month.
Shredded Pine Bark or Evergreen Barks
Shredded pine bark or any evergreen bark can be used as mulch on the topsoil to make it more acidic.
Sphagnum Peat Moss
Sphagnum peat moss is another remedy to lower soil pH. You can see my separate video on this topic HERE.
Alum
Chemically called Potassium Aluminum Sulfate, alum is commonly used in water purification. Available in powder or crystal form, you can powder the crystals and use about 5-10 grams per liter of water, watering your plants monthly. You can watch a separate video on alum in gardening for more details.
Elemental Sulfur
Chemical or commercial products containing elemental sulfur can also be used to lower soil pH.
Wood Ash
If your soil is too acidic and you want to raise the pH, wood ash can be used as a natural remedy.
You can watch a detailed video on this topic HERE.
Please watch a video on Organic Soil PH amendments below:
