SIB: Acidifying soil (was Siberian)

Patti reports:
>I live only yards from a limestone type
>bluff <snip> I had my soil tested when I moved here and
>about every other year for many years.  It tested over 7 then.  I have
>added compost, peat, sulphur, apples and anything else anyone could
>suggest to lower the ph but it is still nearly 7 now.
><snip>I have a drilled well
>and my water has the same mineral content that the soil does so I would
>have to get water from another part of the county I suppose.  There is
>reasonably acid soil about 6 miles from me or less.
>
This is an interesting problem. On the one hand one is tempted to say,
"Respect nature and only try to grow what will prosper where you live"; but
on the other hand, what harm is there in one little toy pond full of
Siberians? She could truck acid soil to her pool from the source she's
found just six miles away.
But how do we stop the alkaline water from neutralizing and eventually
converting that soil to alkaline? What can be done short of acquiring all
sorts of overpriced pool-diffuser equipment that would be overkill for a
tiny pool?

Here is my solution: mix acidifier into hose water every time you water
using the Ortho Sprayette 4. Cost about $5.
This is one of those liquid-chemical delivery devices that attaches to the
end of the hose. People use them for spraying fruit trees, fertilizing the
lawn, that sort of thing. I use mine when we repaint the house, to apply
detergent, and when I soap down my aphid-infested daylilies.
To use the Sprayette you fill the container with a certain amount of acid
solution. As the water streams past a valve, magic suction draws the acid
up into the water stream where it mixes itself in the proper proportion for
application.
Patti would have to do math to determine how much acidifier to apply. But
how hard could it be?  ;->

The next question is which acidifier she should use. No doubt our Siberian
experts know something wonderful. I've been thinking cider vinegar would do
just fine, but there is the problem of all that salt (acid + base = salt +
water) that will be produced. Salts would gradually accumulate in the soil.
Since I KNOW NOTHING about all of this but am only indulging my delight in
trying to solve problems logically, I will shut up now and let somehow
smarter provide our, uh, solution.

Celia
storey@aristotle.net  USDA Zone 7b
Little Rock, Arkansas
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