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Extension now offers pH testing |
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April 27, 2016 |
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The Boundary County Extension Office now offers
pH testing to local gardeners who want to attain
just the right balance in their soil for the
plants they hope to grow.
Nearly everyone who's planted a garden has heard
of pH, but not quite as many know that pH stands
for "potential of Hydrogen" and is a measure of
acidity or alkalinity of water soluble
substances, a measure of the hydrogen ion
concentration of a solution. Solutions with a
high concentration of hydrogen ions have a low
pH and solutions with a low concentrations of H+
ions have a high pH.
A pH value is a number from 1 to 14,
with 7 as the middle (neutral) point. Values
below 7 indicate acidity which increases as the
number decreases, 1 being the most acidic.
Blueberries, in particular, are sensitive to pH
levels and are most productive in a soil with a
pH of 4.5 to 5.5. Other plants that do better in
an acidic soil include strawberries, currants,
gooseberries, elderberries, and rhubarb.
Vegetables that prefer acidic soil include
potatoes, radishes, peppers, sweet potatoes and
parsley.
To find out the pH value of your soil, put about
half a cup of garden soil in a plastic bag and
take it to the Extension office, 6447 Kootenai
Street, Bonners Ferry. Cost of each test is just
$2, and requires a turnaround time of one to two
days.
For more information on pH, how to sample soil
and how to attain the pH your plants need,
click here. |
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