Easy Ways to Adjust Soil pH

Its very good practice to monitor your soil pH from time to time. And though the rule of thumb "ideal" soil pH is around 6.5, lots of plants have their own preference, some doing better in a slightly more acidic soil, and some thriving only in more alkaline soils.

So what do can you do about it if your soil pH is a little bit "out"? Reader Robert Bradford shared his ingenious approach to this very problem:

My soil was lab tested years ago when I was in master gardener training. It, like all soils around here, tested slightly acid. I topdress with 4" of mostly finished compost every year which nudges the pH closer to 7.0.

If the plant wants a sweeter, more alkaline soil, I topdress with wood ash (5 gal/4X20'bed).

To get a more acidic soil, I simply topdress with coffee grounds at the same rate.

One way to tell if your soil is more than slightly acidic without a lab test is by the appearance of moss - it only grows in acidic soils.

If the plant requires a highly acid or basic soil I double the above dosages. It is not scientific but it works. Our tomatoes and potatoes were the best ever according to those we shared them with. And the onions and garlic were too good to share.