Author Topic: How to lower soil Ph long term?  (Read 2291 times)

SeaWalnut

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How to lower soil Ph long term?
« on: May 07, 2019, 04:54:21 PM »
Im looking for ways to lower the soil ph on long term.I have 7,5 ph soil and would like to get it to 5,5 ph or close to that .I need this low ph because phosphorus becomes non available in acid soils and i plan to grow somme proteaceae that dislike phosphorus.

forumfool

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Re: How to lower soil Ph long term?
« Reply #1 on: May 07, 2019, 05:05:59 PM »
Sulfur is most common way

lebmung

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Re: How to lower soil Ph long term?
« Reply #2 on: May 08, 2019, 02:11:15 PM »
aluminium sulfate

SeaWalnut

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Re: How to lower soil Ph long term?
« Reply #3 on: May 08, 2019, 03:04:35 PM »
I use spaghnum moss wich has 4 Ph mixed with soil 50/50.All methods are good,the sulphur ones and spaghnum moss but i dont think they last verry long .Im looking for a solution that would last for decades.

00christian00

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Re: How to lower soil Ph long term?
« Reply #4 on: May 08, 2019, 03:14:56 PM »
Tons of organic matter and compost.In the long run it should make your soil neutral, but will take years anyway.
And you will likely have only a top layer like that, below will always stay basic.
« Last Edit: May 08, 2019, 03:17:27 PM by 00christian00 »

palmcity

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Re: How to lower soil Ph long term?
« Reply #5 on: May 08, 2019, 11:30:42 PM »
How to lower soil Ph long term?

Another option:
Long term burning of more coal & increasing air pollution and smog.... Will result in Acid rain.... Lowering the ph for soils and plants...

It's ironic that most research talks of acid rain as being only very very very bad... I guess they are not gardeners.... lol... Your plants may actually be happier if they had more acid rain...
http://butane.chem.uiuc.edu/pshapley/Enlist/Labs/AcidRain2/index.html   

It is good to know that even in bad times like fires etc... good often comes... (new plants from forest floors after fires etc. etc.)



SeaWalnut

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Re: How to lower soil Ph long term?
« Reply #6 on: May 09, 2019, 01:09:41 AM »
Fires not a good idea because ash is alkaline,contains a lot of calcium.It would increase the ph instead to lower it.

palmcity

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Re: How to lower soil Ph long term?
« Reply #7 on: May 09, 2019, 09:16:55 AM »
Just amusing myself with my previous post on the idea of is bad only bad or is there some good with most if not all bad...

Increase positive outlook for plants & less positive prospects for animals with some added smog in previous...

Sulfur seems to be one of the primary acidifying agents by being in atmosphere in burning etc. or from the fire and brimstone sulfur pits of Hades being finally expressed on the earths surface with Volcanic eruptions of devastation (bad to most animals) ..... But maybe good for plants etc. at least long term ph soil (usually lowering ph) plus other mineral additions...




« Last Edit: May 09, 2019, 09:25:14 AM by palmcity »

WGphil

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Re: How to lower soil Ph long term?
« Reply #8 on: May 09, 2019, 09:46:16 AM »
I use peat and pine fines in my blueberry bed and feed it pine thereafter

SeaWalnut

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Re: How to lower soil Ph long term?
« Reply #9 on: May 09, 2019, 04:07:27 PM »
Just amusing myself with my previous post on the idea of is bad only bad or is there some good with most if not all bad...

Increase positive outlook for plants & less positive prospects for animals with some added smog in previous...

Sulfur seems to be one of the primary acidifying agents by being in atmosphere in burning etc. or from the fire and brimstone sulfur pits of Hades being finally expressed on the earths surface with Volcanic eruptions of devastation (bad to most animals) ..... But maybe good for plants etc. at least long term ph soil (usually lowering ph) plus other mineral additions...
I got the joke and the metaphors but i wanted to clear that making a fire on the spot its bad for lowering the ph ,because this is a public forum and some might read and try it.Most plants dont like the acid enviroment because with increased acidity the phosphorus becomes unavailable for them.The proteaceae plants that im growing have adapted to live in soils that are poore in phosphates by growing special root organs .
« Last Edit: May 09, 2019, 04:11:11 PM by SeaWalnut »

Pan Dulce

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Re: How to lower soil Ph long term?
« Reply #10 on: May 09, 2019, 06:33:21 PM »
If your water has a pH similar in range to your soil, then you can not lower its pH long term.  You can apply sulfur for the short term, but the soil will eventually buffer this supplement and go back to its original state.  Elementary soil science.  Your only option is to inject acid into your irrigation water. 

SeaWalnut

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Re: How to lower soil Ph long term?
« Reply #11 on: May 10, 2019, 04:20:40 AM »
I think it can be done long term by having somme plants around that will leach tannins into the soil.Ive seen for aquariums somme people use just a few Terminalia Catappa leaves to lower the ph.I cant grow Terminalia in my zone but il just have to find another plant that  will leach lots of tannins.

lebmung

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Re: How to lower soil Ph long term?
« Reply #12 on: May 10, 2019, 06:15:07 AM »
I think it can be done long term by having somme plants around that will leach tannins into the soil.Ive seen for aquariums somme people use just a few Terminalia Catappa leaves to lower the ph.I cant grow Terminalia in my zone but il just have to find another plant that  will leach lots of tannins.

Mulch with pine needles, get them from mountain. Add to the mix only in spring sulfur to amend the soil.

SeaWalnut

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Re: How to lower soil Ph long term?
« Reply #13 on: May 10, 2019, 04:55:09 PM »
2 Alder cones in an experiment,lowered the water to 4,5 from 7 ph.Im guessing the dense wood of somme cones might last a long time burryed in the soil and leach humic acid long term.Somme experiments need to be done.

Pokeweed

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Re: How to lower soil Ph long term?
« Reply #14 on: May 11, 2019, 10:33:55 AM »
I've introduced pines to my place so I'll have needles and cones to use for mulch. Now I'll have to find other plants/trees for this purpose.
D

shiro

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Re: How to lower soil Ph long term?
« Reply #15 on: May 11, 2019, 01:18:28 PM »
It is simple and there are not many solutions.

Dig the soil in depth and installed a geotextile and then added organic matter.
By taking the method hugelkultur to fill.

Another possibility, but longer: planting pines and eucalyptus but it will take a few years before the PH has reached the desired values in depth.