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Mount Prospect,illinois

What are some products one could use if one wishes to raise or lower their soil ph? Either immediately or over a period of time. For instance, my ph is 7.6. So i need to lower it a bit. What could i use if i needed it dropped in a pinch or if i had a month to drop it?

1/31/2007 7:24:52 AM

Phoenix, AZ

Simple as sulfur. How much is a question that only you can answer with time. No one will ever use as much as I had to but desert soil is just different. Using sulfur will be a slow process to reduce ph. Probably many months or possibly a year.

1/31/2007 9:16:05 AM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Dave anyone bale soybean straw buy you? That will lower your PH. For 7.6 the addition of more organic matter should do the trick also. PH is a tricky thing. Time of year sample taken. Depth of sample. all change results. I deep plowed once took my PH from 6.9 to 5.4.

1/31/2007 9:32:40 AM

Mocksville, NC

As Ben said Elemntal sulfur Organic to lower to raise Cal Carbonate to raise food grade. feed mills have it., but do it now as time is near.

1/31/2007 10:09:13 AM

southwest MO

If your mineral content is trough the roof like mine is, dilution of the exsisting soil might be in order. Instead of using lime, wood ash, oyster shell, or sulfer etc. to gain a quick fix, use a bulkier higher organic substance such as pine needles or peat moss. If you add large amounts of compost or rotted manure your pH will gravitate towards 7.0 or above (at least thats my experience). I would think in terms of years not months. Its not the end of the world to grow in the low 7's. Its to easy to get a new patch out of balance.

1/31/2007 6:06:01 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

davep,

Was a soil test done? If so what is the Sulfur content? What is the CEC?

Once we have these values we can make some good decisions.

1/31/2007 8:10:07 PM

Mount Prospect,illinois

Tremor,
Sulfur was 18ppm and the CEC was 17.1. I have it scribbled down i think to use either powdered sulfur or gypsum to lower the ph. I did put some manure and maple leaves on the garden this fall and dug it under. I cant say i tilled it under since my garden is so small, a tiller would be a waste of energy. Yes, I am an urban grower. The fight for space and sunlight will never end but i will keep on. :)

2/1/2007 7:26:10 AM

President - GPC

Canadian Based Peat Moss ( Non- Adjusted)

2/1/2007 12:44:23 PM

southwest MO

Thats what I've been putting in my patch Wiz... For as small as davep's patch sounds, shouldn't be to expensive. It has reallllly fluffed my soil up and helped dry it out some.

2/1/2007 1:30:08 PM

Mount Prospect,illinois

My garden is more of a stamp size than a patch. So the cost of things is greatly reduced. I could make a bigger one but the wife want some grass in the back yard so the 3 boys can play. What's HER problem??? :)

2/1/2007 3:07:22 PM