Soil pH Critical for Success

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Lime is used to raise soil pH levels when soil tests reveal levels below the optimal range. Defined, pH is the negative log of the hydrogen ion concentration. More simply stated, we use lime (calcium hydroxide) to knock hydrogen off of the soil nutrient exchange sites. The optimal pH range varies for plants. Many vegetable and field crops do best when soil pH levels are between 6.0 and 6.5 on the scale of 0 to 14. However alfalfa grows best at slightly higher levels like 6.8 while blue berries, azalea and rhododendron bushes perform best at lower levels like 5.0 to 5.5. Typically yard and garden enthusiasts end up with pH levels too high due to adding lime or other materials and agricultural fields are too low due to the cost of liming large acreages. Lime is more difficult to understand than other soil nutrients so let's take a look at lime from both the garden and the farm perspective.

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