Hi Kale, sorry it's taken me so long to reply. Lowering your ph is a long drawn out process as lime or dolomite is constantly being dissolved in the soil. Some folk go for a ''quick fix'' using Flowers of Sulphur or Ground Rock Sulphur, but over-use of it tends to destroy micro-organisms in the soil. A friend has used pine needles as a mulch and this appears to work well, albeit slowly. If the beds are unoccupied sulphur may be the way to go, (especially if your growing season is close) as you can add a higher concentration of sulphur than you would if beds were occupied. Well aged manure can also lower the ph....as you can see there's no really quick way of doing this but before you add compost to the bed get a ph reading of it and adjust it accordingly before spreading or digging it into the soil....hope this helps you a bit
Humm, Im back*lol
Was waiting for a reply when I was the one that was suppose to reply*lol
My piles are aerobic. you will sink a few (or more) inches if you walk in my beds and most of my soil.
A ladder will never work, just sink as soon as you try to place and stand.
OK nitrogen to lower the pH but I have high pH.
I'm confused once again.
I think I will get a test only I spoke with them at the extension office they didn't have a clue as to what what was going on.
Thought I called to brag about my high pH!*LOL
I guess I have to get one of the lab techs from the back..*LOL
Anyway,the part I find most difficult if at all possible is to get a mini shovel full from such a large veggie area.I have over 13 beds and I plant veggies everywhere. Also read and heard that the pH can be different just 3inches from where you took the soil.(Any clue as to the this being factual)
How do you know where to get the soil from!? Where something grew,where organic matter was placed a few months earlier where nothing grew for a season? And when, before turning or tillin or after? What week or month?What location.sun/shade both? Covered beds uncovered beds.
What is the difference in the reading? There has to be more microbes come warmer temps. I think taking a soil sample should be a little more scientific then just digging up some dirt and letting it dry out for a day or 3 then taking soil out of there and bagging it up. I wish I knew the answers to all these and several more.
Shoot me now get it over with *LOL
(Yes, I checked the compost piles using the meter only. Same reading) I also bought (said) well aged manure, which I tested with my meters and it was 7.5pH I flipped and still have it.I bought it to lower my new baby Azaleas pH but didn't use it.)
OK. Nitrogen is what lowers the pH
but I have too much of that and high..Im going to shoot myself never mind you wasting the airfare*LOL
My brain hurts...
If you can get anything out of that you are a gem! Any gem you'd like to be, fine with me...
Kale