Pakistan Gardening Forum

What in your opinion is the best way to change the PH of garden soil from neutral to acidic without harming the plants?

Sir this is an informative link regarding the soil pH issue.

Thank you, What I was asking was your personal experience.
Some use acetic acid, others in industry for immidiate result use Nitric Acid, Alluminium sulphate is also used for quick action along with Ferous Sulphate and Sulpher beside organic compost. some agricultural fertilisers are also acidic.
Anyone having an experience in use of any of these for lowering of PH of soil?

To soil pH mix a little sand the pH will change

B Shah

I have used powdered sulphur to change the acidity of soil for cultivating and growing acid loving plants of camellia, hydrangea, Japanese acers, azaleas and Magnolias. The sulphur method last a lot longer and is slower acting, does not shock the plants with a sudden change and subsequent drop of ph ike acetic acid can do

Mix 2ml Sulphuric Acid in 1 litre water and the results are instantaneous and do not harm the plant.

mikhurram wrote:Mix 2ml Sulphuric Acid in 1 litre water and the results are instantaneous and do not harm the plant.

Dear Khurram sb, since this is a public forum, people can make mistakes since they do know your exact methodology. Certainly your recipes work well when the starting concentration of sulfuric acid known (I mean what is the source, is it a battery acid?). If the starting concentration is about 95-98% acid, your recipe makes it about 0.2% sulfuric acid which I feel is pretty strong acid to damage most plants right away if used directly. Since you don't see that more details are critical for the public. Thanks.

Most acid PH loving plants do well in a compost that is loose and containing a lot of composted chipped tree bark, pine needles and spent tea leaves.

Quick fix remedies may change the soil PH but this a temporary fix and does not create ideal conditions for the following valid reason.

Plants have a symbiotic relationship with fungi and Mycorrhiza. it is the close contact between these colonies and the plants roots that enable the plants uptake of nutrients including carbohydrates, phosphates and other essential minerals/nutrients. they are an important part of soil life and chemistry, being tiny tiny plants in their very own right but facilitators of an essential mutually beneficial process.

Introduction of harsh chemicals may change the host soils PH but it will also sterilise the soil of any beneficial Micorrhiza. Plants grown under these conditions will generally perform very very poorly.

Secondly there are different types of fungi that colonise different types of soil so unless the compost is basically correct then the correct fungi will not thrive and thus the plants growth will also be inhibited. for example some thrive in acid soils that are open in nature and well aerated. This cant be replicated in clay soils no matter how many PH altering chemicals are added.

If you aim to get the soil media right then things generally work out for the best.

Ifzaal

uptake of carbohydrates???

Soil here is Alkaline so iam using peat moss to balance it, I prefer a slightly acidic soil.