How To Determine Soil Acidity Using Plants

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Not everyone has the opportunity to send a sample to the laboratory in order to find out the qualitative composition of the soil at their summer cottage. However, this knowledge is very important for the care of the land. And here nature comes to the rescue of the gardener. The plants that have settled here, as well as the state of the planted garden crops, will tell you what type of soil your weave belongs to and the presence of the amount of necessary trace elements

In nature, everything is interconnected and harmonious. And every type of soil, whether acidic or alkaline, has its own plants that prefer just this level of acidity. The acidity level is usually determined by the pH value of the soil:

• A soil with a pH of 4-5 is considered to be highly acidic;

• Slightly acidic - from 5, 5 to 6, 5;

• Soils with a pH of about 7 are called neutral;

• Saline or alkaline soils are those with a pH above 7.

Plantain

How to identify acidic soil

Strongly acidic soils are not the most suitable conditions for growing garden crops. An indicator of such places is the presence of plantain, horse sorrel, and horsetail on the site. Instead of garden beds, it is better to set up a garden here, since some plants, unlike most, even like high acidity. These include both ornamental plants (hydrangea, lupine, rhododendron, azalea, buttercup) and some berry bushes (lingonberry, blueberry).

Plants that love acidic soil

On slightly acidic soils, wheatgrass, dandelion, clover, coltsfoot, chamomile, bellflower, fern, snowdrop, cornflowers are found. Here you can already afford to plant pumpkin and nightshade. This is a good place for growing cucumbers and zucchini, tomatoes and eggplants, potatoes and pumpkins. In addition, these are suitable conditions for planting currants, gooseberries, lemongrass, sea buckthorn. If you plan to arrange flower beds and flower beds, choose geraniums, roses, peonies, tulips, daffodils for this site.

Clover

Neutral soil acidity

When nettle, shepherd's purse, quinoa predominate, this indicates a neutral acid reaction. This soil composition is favorable for the cultivation of most cultivated plants. These include: cabbage, beans, peas, carrots, beets, radishes, celery, parsley. It is a good place to plant apple and pear, plum and cherry. Planting raspberries and garden strawberries will also be successful. Flower lovers will be delighted here by the lush bloom of dahlias and bright irises.

Plants on alkaline soils

The alkaline nature of the soil is indicated by chicory, euphorbia, thyme, sage, and badan. Under such conditions, cultivated plants are not very comfortable, and when the pH is higher than 8.5, it is not recommended to use the soil for garden beds. On such soils, it is necessary to neutralize salinity. Or to settle on them dogwood, barberry, hawthorn, arnica, lilac, juniper. Cedar, quince, pear, purple, apricot, mulberry will feel good here. For a flower garden, choose edelweiss, gypsophila, heuchera, delphinium, clematis, saxifrage, lavender.

Chicory

Green indicators will tell you what substances are missing in the soil

In addition to acidity, it is useful to have knowledge about the deficiency of certain substances important for the development of vegetables in the soil. This can be determined by the external signs of plants:

• Lack of nitrogen produces a pale color and yellowing of the tops, fragile stems and small leaves;

• Phosphorus - the color of the leaves becomes dark green with a blue or purple tint, they quickly dry up and fall off;

• Potassium - the leaves turn brown, their edges wrinkle and curl downward;

• Calcium - leaf tips die off, and apical buds and roots are damaged;

• Boron - the apical buds and roots also suffer, in addition - the ovary falls off or there is no flowering at all.

With a lack of magnesium, iron, copper in the soil, plants are more often affected by chlorosis.