Is Soil Ph In Hardwoods Acidic Or Alkaline

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Is soil ph in hardwoods acidic or alkaline.

The ph is a logarithmic scale that goes from 0 to 14 with 0 being most acidic 7 being neutral and 14 being most alkaline. Garden plants typically grow best in neutral or slightly acid soil ph 7 or slightly below. What happens when soil ph is too high. Soil ph is a key factor in farmland as it controls availability of nutrients microbial activity and crop productivity.

The ph scale indicates acidity or alkalinity. The university of california advises that the accuracy of soil ph readings is plus or minus 0 5 ph units. A soil with a ph number below 7 is acid while one with a ph above 7 is alkaline. For plants that are especially sensitive to ph such as red maples an increase in ph from 6 0 to 6 5 can be enough to induce nutrient problems.

Before delving into what causes soils to become acid or alkaline and the steps to take to treat and correct soil ph we must first establish what is considered an optimal ph for crop production. While a soil ph around 6 5 is often considered ideal for plants many trees can grow well at soil ph values above 7. Soils with a ph level that is higher than 7 are said to be alkaline such soils are suitable for growing plants that thrive in a sweet soil as opposed to a sour or acid soil if soil ph needs to be raised meaning the ground is not alkaline enough apply garden lime if on the other hand your soil has too much alkalinity you can lower the ph by applying a fertilizer that has sulfur. Most won t thrive in highly acid or highly alkaline soil though a few have adapted to such extremes.

Hundred times as acidic as a ph of 7.