What is soil acidity and how to determine it?

The so-called soil solution, thanks to which the roots of plants receive most of the necessary substances, is also determined by different degrees of acidity. This is an extremely important parameter that summer residents should take into account mainly in order to choose a suitable soil for a crop and vice versa - not every plant prefers a strong soil acidity, and with increased sensitivity it is unlikely to be able to take root on it, while some, on the contrary, make increased demands to the acidity level. We will try to understand the issue.

In writing, in order to determine the acidity of the soil, the pH sign is used, respectively, the degree is indicated by numbers. If the degree is 7, then the reaction of the soil solution in this case can be characterized as neutral, if it is above 7, then it is alkaline, and at a low value it is characterized as acidic soil. With a decrease in the number, the acidity of the soil solution also increases. Soils, the pH value of which is about 4.5 are considered soils with an increased level of acidity, 5.5 are slightly acidic, but when the number approaches 6, the solutions turn out to be almost neutral.

Requirements for soil acidity of different crops

As already mentioned, different plants have different requirements for soil acidity for their development, and react in completely different ways to one or another level. If an apple tree, when planted on slightly acidic soil, can still take root on it, then an increase in acidity entails a significant deterioration in conditions for growth, development and nutrition. The disadvantage of this type of soil is that acidity prevents the creation of a favorable environment for the development of beneficial bacteria, including those that contribute to the necessary process of accumulating mineral nitrogen in the soil. Organic fertilizers in soils with high acidity decompose much more slowly than where its level is noticeably lower. The risk of soil drying out, the formation of a kind of crust, through which not only moisture and air access is difficult, but also a complex of nutrients necessary for plant roots, also increases.

Also, soils, called alkaline, often become unfavorable for growing most plants. For example, an apple tree will thrive best on soil that has a pH of 5 to 6. It should be remembered that in one area, it would seem, even of small size, if it intersects several relief elements at once, several degrees of soil acidity may be present at once in different places, so if you decide to conduct an analysis, it is better to do it throughout the territory. Also, the acidity of the soil may depend on how conscientiously the previous owner of the site looked after it, this must also be taken into account before planting plants. How do you check the acidity of your soil? For this, special devices of Alyamovsky are used. Having figured out the device and the principle of operation of such a device, you can yourself, without resorting to additional help from specialists, measure the acidity level in your area. It emphasizes, again, the fact that this should be done across the entire territory, and not just in one place, in order to avoid inaccuracies in the overall results. Another way to measure soil acidity is to use a tool such as test paper, which can be found at garden chemical stores. A strip of paper should be moistened with a soil solution being checked at the moment, followed by a comparison of the resulting color with a special scale, where a gradation is presented that characterizes one or another degree of soil acidity.

External signs by which acidity can be determined

As for the external signs, it is also possible to determine by them how much the soil is oxidized, although this method, of course, is not reliably accurate and reliable, rather intuitive and approximate. Acidic soils are distinguished by the fact that they often grow plants such as sorrel, horsetail, plantain, heather, torus and so on. However, in any case, it will not be possible to determine accurate indicators, even if there are a lot of weeds, therefore, for reliability, it is better to resort to the help of specially designed means for this.

Excess acidity is usually eliminated by liming, applying fertilizers of a similar composition. An example of a lime fertilizer is ground limestone. The use of a wide variety of alternatives is allowed, but one should take into account the effect that they can have, spreading on acidic soil.

The preparation of ground limestone, as a rule, is as follows - lime should be extinguished in advance with water in proportions of 40 liters of water per 100 kilograms of lime. Thus, it turns into a powdery mass. In order to calculate the rate of lime application to the soil, first you need to correctly determine the degree of its acidity, otherwise a lack or excess of lime fertilizer can also cause certain harm. Be extremely precise in this matter.

Soil acidity is an extremely important factor that every self-respecting gardener should have an idea of. After studying all the necessary information and purchasing the necessary measuring tools, be sure to take care of all planning and calculations before planting anything in your garden. If the acidity is not eliminated by immediately applying organic fertilizers and starting sowing crops, in the end this can turn out to be quite deplorable for you. Don't make such mistakes!