alkaline soil

[nick]

has anyone got any ideas on how to acidify soil? vege garden Ph is 7.5.

[Wombat]

G'Day Nick,

Even though the ideal soil pH is 6-7, 7.5 is only just alkaline and if you add organic matter, over time the pH will drop naturally. A green manure crop will hlep things along. If you REALLY want to try and adjust your soil pH, try adding elemental sulphur. Try adding about 75gms per square metre for loamy soil, add less for sand or more for clay. This shoul drop your pH by about one unit.

Lots of luck.

Nev

[nick]

thanks. have got very sandy soil. have been gradually building it up by putting a 'shovel full' of compost when planting out larger plants and mulching with cow manure (dry, crumbled and out of the shed) and hay. this is the first year I've had worms in the garden so hopefully i'm not too far off the Ph being corrected.

[Millymollymandy]

Worms indicate a healthy soil and that's because you are adding lots of good stuff i.e. manure and humous (how do you spell that?) to the soil. They don't indicate its acid or alkaline content.

[diver]

I add composted grass or just put grass cuttings in when I am planting stuff as, when the grass rots down it produces an acidic compost...good for the spuds. Also avoid putting mushroom compost on the soil as this contains lime.

[hedgewizard]

If you can get hold of bulk organic material - spent hops, coffee grounds, anything - a 10cm mulch in the autumn will work wonders and solve a lot of your sandy soil woes... for a few years at least

[nick]

I can get as much crushed cow manure into the garden as I want. the catch is for every wheel barrow load, I have a mini person wheeling a mini wheel barrow and another mini person in the stroller to move back and forth. may have to do some early morning work to on top of everything.
cooler days and the garden is starting to be a bit more productive so maybe excessive hot days may have had a part in everything.
have put some sulphur on a section that is waiting for some brassicas.