Modify Your Soil’s pH Level Naturally

Soil pH measures how acidic or alkaline the soil makeup is. The pH scale can run from 1 through 14 while 7 is neutral. 1-6.9 indicates the level acid in the soil. 7.5-14 indicates the level of alkaline in the soil. Most soil has a pH level between 4.0 (acidic) to 8.0 (alkaline) while most vegetables do best with pH levels between 6.0 and 7.0, but there are exceptions.

Test your soil with an Electric Soil Tester.  All you will need is an electric tester, water and the cleaning pad that comes with the tester.  Wet the soil with water.  Push the tester probes into the soil.  Switch the test to the pH value setting and switch on — that’s it!

To reap the highest yields in the least amount of space, you should customize each of your beds to the vegetable’s ideal pH level.

Natural Soil Sweeteners (Adding Alkaline)
Your Soil Type	Calcitic Limestone	Wood Ash	Dolomite Limestone
Loam	In loam soil, add Calcitic Limestone at rate of 6 ½ lbs per 100 sq. ft.	In loam soil, add Wood Ashes at rate of 8 lbs per 100 sq. ft.	In loam soil, add Dolomite Limestone at rate of 6 lbs per 100 sq. ft.
Sandy	In sandy soil, add Calcitic Limestone at rate of 2 ½ lbs per 100 sq. ft.	In sandy soil, add Wood Ashes at rate of 3 ½ lbs per 100 sq. ft.	In sandy soil, add Dolomite Limestone at rate of 3 lbs per 100 sq. ft.
Clay	In clay soil, add Calcitic Limestone at rate of 9 lbs per 100 sq. ft.	In clay soil, add Wood Ashes at rate of 9 ½ lbs per 100 sq. ft.	In clay soil, add Dolomite Limestone at rate of 7 ½ lbs per 100 sq. ft.
Silt	In silty soil, add Calcitic Limestone at rate of 6 ½ lbs per 100 sq. ft.	In silty soil, add Wood Ashes at rate of 8 lbs per 100 sq. ft.	In silty soil, add Dolomite Limestone at rate of 6 lbs per 100 sq. ft.
Natural Soil Acidifier (Adding Acid)
Your Soil Type	Flowers of Sulfur	Wood Shavings, Leaf Compost or Pine Needles	Iron Sulfate
Loam	In loam soil, add Flowers of Sulfur at rate of 1 ½ lbs per 100 sq. ft.	In loam soil, add W.L.P. at rate of 8 lbs per 100 sq. ft.	In loam soil, add Iron Sulfate at rate of 5 ½ lbs per 100 sq. ft.
Sandy	In sandy soil, add Flowers of Sulfur at rate of 1 lb per 100 sq. ft.	In sandy soil, add W.L.P. at rate of 6 lbs per 100 sq. ft.	In sandy soil, add Iron Sulfate at rate of 3 lbs per 100 sq. ft.
Clay	In clay soil, add Flowers of Sulfur at rate of 2 lbs per 100 sq. ft.	In clay soil, add W.L.P. at rate of 10 lbs per 100 s.q ft.	In clay soil, add Iron Sulfate at rate of 7 ½ lbs per 100 sq. ft.
Silt	In silty soil, add Flowers of Sulfur at rate of 1 ½ lbs per 100 sq. ft.	In silty soil, add W.L.P. at rate of 9 lbs per 100 sq. ft.	In silty soil, add Iron Sulfate at rate of 5 lbs per 100 sq. ft.