Soil Acidity Test

Spot the Problem: Your Soil May be too Acidic?

Regardless of the type of soil you have in your lawn over time it will naturally lose pH and become acidic. This happens as rainfall washes away calcium and as decomposition of organic matter leaves soils more acidic. If you add fertilizer to your lawn the main ingredients are acidic by nature and will result in a lower pH.

Is Your Soil Too Acidic? Here’s How You Tell

Do a pH Test
These can be found in your local garden center and in some cases you can bring a sample with you and they will test it there.

Moss & Weeds are Present
Plants like these thrive in acidic soil. The presence of a lot of them is an indication that your soil has a lower pH level.

Fertilizer Isn’t Helping
A neutral pH is needed to unlock soil nutrients, if they aren’t working it might be because your soil is too acidic.

Test Your Soil At Home With Vinegar & Baking Soda

Lifehacker recently published an article with this test in it, and it seems very straightforward.

Each of these require about a 1/4 cup of dry dirt. Mix distilled water with the dry dirt until it make a mud in two separate containers.

Test for alkalinity by pouring regular household vinegar over the top of the first one. If it fizzes, it’s alkaline.

Test for acidity by sprinkling baking soda over the top of the second one. If it bubbles, it’s acidic.

If neither produce a reaction your soil is fairly neutral.

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