What To Do If Your Soil is Too Alkaline
In A Nutshell Your best option is to add organic matter and grow plants that do well in alkaline soils. The Whole Story Technically, all soils with a pH higher than 7.0 are alkaline, or "sweet," but most garden plants tolerate a pH up to about 7.5. Alkaline soils are generally composed of basic (high pH) parent materials such as limestone (calcium carbonate). High-pH soils are more prevalent in arid climates, because rainfall does not leach the calcium and other basic materials out of the soil. Soil pH affects nutrient availability for plants, and in soils with a pH over 7.8, iron, zinc, and phosphorus deficiencies are common. Lowering soil pH is a slow and challenging process. "The truth is, lowering soil pH is hard, because the limestone in the soil continually dissolves," says Jessica Davis, Ph.D., a professor of soil science at Colorado State University. Davis recommends getting your soil tested to determine its pH, lime content, soil texture, and...