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Re: Soil pH

Square Foot Gardening List - http://www.flinet.com/~gallus/sqft.html

Juliana wrote:
>I didn't realize that 8.0 is 10 times higher than 7.0, and that 6.5 is where 
>I should aim.  Also that high pH affects availability of nutrients, at
least the key nutrients.  

The chart in The Gardener's Desk Reference lists the following:

8.0 to 6.0 -- Lowest pH at which spinach will grow well. 

7.5 -- Acid-loving plants suffer. Phosphorous, manganese and iron become
less available.

6.0 Phosphorous starts to become less available. Potassium, clacium,
magnesium, and trace elements are easily leached from soil and may be
deficient.

5.5 -- Nitrogen becomes less available.

4.0 -- Only acid loving plants can thrive in pH 4.0.

So it appears that acidic soils present more of a problem relative to
nutrient availability.

A graph in "Just the Facts," a Storey book, lists the following Optimum pH
Ranges for Vegetable Crops

6.0 to 8.0 -- asparagus, beets, cabbage, muskmelons.

6.0 to 7.5 -- peas, spinach, summer squash.

6.0 to 7.0 -- celery, chives, endive, rhubarb, horseradish, lettuce,
onions, radishes, cauliflower

5.5 to 7.5 -- sweet corn, pumpkins, tomatoes

5.5 to just under 7.0 -- snap beans, lima beans, carrots, cucumbers,
parsnips, peppers, rutabagas, winter squash

5.5 to just under 6.5 -- eggplant, watermelon

5.0 to just under 6.5 -- potatoes

Patricia S
Zone 7b, battling 5.3 pH. But hopefully growing great blueberries without
much trouble.


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