Produced by
Patti Moreno
Contributor to:
Healthy Organic Soil and the Importance of pH
The nutrients that you test in soil are the Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K). You’ll also want to test the pH in your soil.
A gardener’s job is never done! It’s our job as gardeners to nurture our soil, which leads to healthy plants, healthier food, and the healthiest people. In my experience the key to success has been knowing everything I needed to know about my soil; most importantly, its pH level. What is the pH level? The pH measures the “character,” if you will, of your soil. Is it acidic? (Great for growing blueberries!) Is it alkaline? (Excellent for lilacs!) Or is it neutral? (Perfect for most vegetables).
If your soil doesn’t have the correct pH level, your plants will have a harder time accessing the nutrients, potentially causing a disappointing harvest. In order to avoid these kinds of problems; watch this video as I demonstrate another crucial; garden tool; the Soil Stick, which will help solve the pH mystery.
You will see me in action with my Soil Stick, which seems a little like an amateur science experiment, but it’s actually as easy as (blueberry) pie! All you have to do is remove the mulch from the top of the soil. Then, take the scoop that comes with your Soil Stick; fill it with a sample of your soil. Place the soil in the provided tube and throw a pH tablet on top of the soil; add water to the tube and replace the lid (which is also the scoop) and shake it up and set it aside. In the time it takes for you to pour yourself some lemonade (2 minutes) you will have the most important information about your soil that you’ll ever need.
If your soil needs to be amended based on the pH test, you may need to add lime if it needs more acidity, or sulphur if it needs more alkalinity. As you can see, my soil’s level is a nice neutral 6.5, which means it’s ready for just about any vegetable I want to plant. Since that was so easy, I need to go seek some soil answers from my blueberry bushes. They’re more of a challenge because they like a more acidic soil.
Eco- and Wallet-friendly tips for amending your soil:
- You can mulch around your blueberry bushes with pine needles to make the soil more acidic
- Adding wood ash to soil increases the alkalinity in your soil, raising the pH.
Reminders for first time gardeners and first time gardens:
- Begin with organic soil
- Your soil should be dark brown or black in color and physically easy to work with a hand trowel
- Add lots of worms. Worms keep the soil aerated as they burrow through soil, giving roots a place to grow freely. (As the worms consume matter in your soil they will deposit rich worm castings)
- Do not use petro chemical fertilizer; it can destroy the entire ecosystem
- Do make compost
