Re: Soil pH
Donna wrote:
as any ponder/fish colelctor can tell you - vinger and
baking soda are always on hand supplies to control the
ph of the water. (over doing will cause more problems,
but...)
So wondering if plants use up the by products when in
soil like they do in water to adjust the soil ph?
any one know? Jim our resident chemist have any link
on that thought?
Donna
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
No links, but can babble at some length. Acid rain is a dilute
solution of sulfuric acid (H2SO4). In the soil or in a pond it provides
sulfate which plants can use. If you use something like sodium or potassium
hydroxide (Na/K)OH to neutralize it in a pond (do you ?), then you get
again a dilute solution of Na2SO4 or K2SO4 (actually bisulfate (HSO4-) )
the first of which is no good for anything (the Na), but K is of course
taken up by plants.
If you have hard/high pH water ( a dilute calcium bicarbonate solution) and
adjust with vinegar (acetic acid), you get a dilute calcium acetate
solution from which plants can use the calcium and the acetate breaks down
via bacterial action into other organics, about which I know nothing; organic
chemistry is a whole 'nother world. More than you wanted to know ? Anything
you want left unsaid ?
-jrf
--
Jim Fisher
Vienna, Virginia USA
38.9 N 77.2 W
USDA Zone 7
Max. 105 F [40 C], Min. 5 F [-15 C]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT
Other Mailing lists |
Author Index |
Date Index |
Subject Index |
Thread Index
