By definition the soil ph is the measure of the acidity or alkalinity in soils. Depending on where you live, you may be having difficulty growing a healthy garden and the why of it has everything to do with your soil ph. I was a victim of this phenomenon myself when I decided to plant a large watermelon patch in my yard. The plants looked healthy and thick from the outside, and soon the watermelons began to appear. I was so excited to taste my crop and then when I cut one open, there was no sweet smell and it was tasteless. The watermelons were uneatable and I had no clue why. I never thought about it until years later why soil ph matters when growing a garden.
Get tested
Not knowing your soil ph can also affect your lawn. It could be infested with fungus but in order to clear it up, you must know the ph to get the right product to treat your lawn. You can test your soil yourself with a Ph Meter. It is easy to use and will give you results in just a few minutes. I just found one online at http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/testing/phmoisturelight-probe
Fixing the issue
When I tried to find the definition of soil ph and what it all involves, it completely turned into this math word problem that gave me a headache, so I will put this in terms that anyone can understand. Here are the basic things that you need to know when trying to get your soil on point: If your ph is below 7 it is acidic, if it is above 7 it is alkaline. Most plants range between 5.5 and 7.0, but many plants have adapted and will do well outside of this range. You can find a ph scale online that will assist you in finding what your own soil ph range is. If your soil ph is more alkaline and need to be lowered, you can apply fertilizer that has sulfur/ammonium. If your soil ph is more acidic and it needs to be raised try adding some lime.
Get results
Once you know what to do to rectify the problems, your lawn and garden should thrive and produce with amazing results. Now that you know why soil ph matters, there is no limit to what you can grow in your garden. This information may sound foreign to you, but I know that it works, because my grandmother was always using lime in her garden and her vegetables were always the talk of the neighborhood. I will muster up the guts to try planting more watermelons eventually, as soon as I get my own soil tested.
Photo Credit: istockphoto.com
