Re: OT-PLANTS: leaves and soil pH
- To: Multiple recipients of list <i*@rt66.com>
- Subject: Re: OT-PLANTS: leaves and soil pH
- From: i*@rt66.com
- Date: Wed, 20 Aug 1997 21:13:07 -0600 (MDT)
Bill Shear wrote:
>
>Obviously we need an agronomist to enlighten us more fully, but my
>understanding has always been that aside from extreme situations (peat
>bogs, etc.), the mineral substrate from which the soil was derived had more
>to do with the pH than the nature of any organic material.
>
>Do pine needles make it acidic under pine trees or do the pine trees grow
>there because it is acidic soil to begin with? What about the soil pH
>under pine forest growing on limestone or chalk? Is any acidifying effect
>of litter taking place any deeper in the soil than the immediate surface?
>
A few years ago I took a general gardening class. The arboretum I took the=
class from had done extensive studies on compost materials and pH. The end=
result was that all the compost, regardless of materials, turned out to=
have a pH of about 7.0. That included compost made entirely of pine needles=
and oak leaves. So, the pine trees grow there because they handle lower pH=
better than their competition.
Kay Cangemi
Cangemi@ulster.net
New York, USDA zone 5
