The acidity of the soil depends entirely on the presence of alkaline elements in it. Depending on this parameter, the soil can be of three types. The soil is acidic, alkaline and neutral. Despite the fact that some representatives of the plant world love the soil with an increased this indicator, such soil is the least preferred.
Acidity indicator
The acidity of the soil is a certain property, which depends on the concentration of hydrogen ions. It is indicated as the pH of the solution, that is, the liquid phase of the soil itself. The value is expressed in gram equivalents per liter.
Acidic soil (as defined above) is characterized by a pH below seven, that is, the number of H + ions is less than that of OH- ions (in a neutral reaction, their number is equal to 7).
How to determine the acidity?
Set this indicator at home is easy enough. To do this, you need to buy a set for measuring soil acidity in a specialized store, which includes a certain amount of litmus papers. In addition, it is necessary to prepare the so-called soil extract (add five parts of water to one part of the soil). The container with this hood must be properly shaken, left for some time alone, so that it settles. Now it is possible to place a litmus test in the liquid located above the sediment. Upon contact with the liquid, it changes its color, which is compared with the template.
The acidic soil, the features of which are described in this article, is characterized by the following colors on a piece of paper: green, blue-green, and blue.
Which plants indicate acidic soil?
Acid soil (how to determine it at home, indicated above) is loved by many plants, despite the fact that its presence in the garden or infield can cause many problems.
Plants that live exclusively on similar soils are called acidophiles. Knowing which wild-growing herbs love just such soil, acidity can be determined without chemical tests. On such soils most often grow:
- horsetail;
- small sorrel;
- moss;
- caustic buttercup;
- blueberry;
- sour acid;
- on slightly acidic soils you can find heather, cornflowers and ferns.
However, it is worth considering the fact that many plants are indifferent to small fluctuations of this indicator, that is, they are able to adapt to edaphic factors (the totality of the chemical properties of the soil and its physical characteristics). Therefore, for a more accurate result, it is recommended to determine the amount of alkaline elements in the soil using a litmus test.
If we talk about garden crops, the acidic soil (its signs are very easy to remember) will not appeal to any of the famous representatives. Some of them may grow at pH closer to neutral, for example, quince, different varieties of apple, raspberry and blackberry, as well as tomatoes, sorrel, zucchini, potatoes and pumpkin. Knowing the signs of acidic soil in the garden, it is quite easy to improve the condition of the soil. This is possible by adding certain substances. Of the floral representatives of the plant world, acidic soil (how to deal with it, you can learn from the article) is suitable for irises, delphinium, some lilies, conifers and most roses.
Other detection methods
Help in determining the acidity can a special device Alyamovsky. This is a set of special reagents, the main purpose of which is to analyze soil extracts (for comparison, two extracts are taken: salt and water). It also includes an indicator, a solution of potassium chloride, test tubes and samples. The analysis is similar to that using litmus strips.
There is also a device that is designed to determine the acidity of the soil, while performing several functions at once:
- determination of acidity;
- humidity;
- temperature
- soil illumination.
There are folk methods. For example, using cherry or currant leaves. They need to be boiled with boiling water, and then cool. Then add some soil. The color of the liquid determines the acidity of the soil. If the water has changed its color to red, then the soil is acidic.
How does soil acidity affect plants?
To obtain a large number of crops, soil acidity is a very important parameter that should be considered when choosing plants. This is necessary so that the nutrition of plants is not disturbed, as well as the process of assimilation of the elements necessary for full development. If unadapted specimens are planted precisely on acidic soils, this threatens with nitrogen starvation, especially under adverse climatic conditions, in particular, during rains and lowering temperatures. A manifestation of this is chlorosis of the leaves, which begins to absorb the plant from the veins, and then passes to adjacent tissues. In order not to confuse with natural aging, remember, the latter begins with the tissues between the veins, and the veins themselves remain green for some time.
In addition, acidic soil (which grows on it, indicated above) is characterized by the transition of aluminum and iron to salt, and this is fraught with the fact that phosphoric acid is simply not absorbed by plants. A high amount of these salts in the soil can lead to the fact that calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and molybdenum practically do not penetrate plant tissues and contribute to a decrease in yield. Other elements, such as copper, boron and zinc, also gain phototoxicity. Plants that are not adapted for growth on acidic soil poorly develop, branching of the root stops, the absorption of water and other nutrients deteriorates significantly, signs of acidic soil on the site prove this.
In addition, such soil can become waterlogged, and the lower the pH level, the greater the likelihood of waterlogging.
Acidic soil: how to deal with fertilizers?
One of the methods that allows you to reduce the acidity of the soil in the shortest possible time is the application of fertilizers. For these purposes, potassium or ammonium sulfate is usually taken, and potassium chloride, sodium or calcium nitrate or superphosphate are suitable. This is due to the fact that when these types of fertilizers are applied, plants growing on acidic soils receive anions, not cations. In the process, positive cations remain in the soil, which leads to its alkalization.
Using such fertilizers with a clear periodicity, it is possible to ensure that the soil pH level is normalized.
If different methods indicate that you have acidic soil, what to do in the spring? You can use a tool that is universal. It is suitable for absolutely any type of soil (if you are not sure that your garden has acidic soil, the signs of which are described above). And this is urea. In the case of increased acidity , it can be used to achieve some degree of alkalization of the soil.
But ammonium nitrate is better not to use, because you can get the opposite effect.
Lime use
The most common method of dealing with soil acidity is still liming. This is due to the fact that lime is able to displace hydrogen and aluminum from fertile soil layers, replacing them with magnesium and calcium. The lower the pH, the more soil needs liming.
This procedure consists in making lime flour (you can safely replace dolomite) to a depth of not more than 20 cm. After that, pour plenty of water into the soil. The frequency of liming should be about once every 5 years (in some cases it can be done less often or more often depending on the acidity index). Clay soils require the greatest amount of added lime, sandy ones require the least.
The advantages of this procedure are obvious:
- neutralization of soil acidity, which leads to the development of microorganisms that live in the soil and are directly involved in the formation of many plant nutrients, such as nitrogen or phosphorus;
- compounds of manganese and aluminum turn into their inactive form, as a result of which the toxic effect of these elements on plants is significantly reduced;
- the absorption of potassium, phosphorus and molybdenum is activated;
- increases the efficiency of applying other fertilizers, for example, manure.
Along with the application of lime or dolomite flour , fertilizers are required that are enriched with boron, since the compounds of boron and manganese lose their mobility.
The safest way to lower acidity
The acidic soil, the features of which are described at the beginning of the article, will improve if green plants are planted on it. They are able to increase the pH.
These plants include:
- rye;
- oats;
- representatives of legumes;
- lupine;
- phacelia.
For the effectiveness of this method, crops should be made several times a year for several years in a row.
This method is considered safe, because it does not harm either microorganisms that live in the bulk of the soil and suffer from a large amount of calcium and lime, nor the plants that will subsequently grow in this area, nor groundwater.
Other Acid Soil Improvers
Calcium-containing preparations will also be able to some extent to improve the quality of the soil, if the analysis showed that the plot has acidic soil (what to do in the spring, you can learn from this article). Such funds include:
- crushed chalk (it needs to be crushed, sieved, and then introduced into the soil at the rate of 300 g of chalk per 1 m 2 of soil, subject to strong acidity);
- peat ash (the amount of this drug should be significantly greater than chalk);
- wood ash (suitable for sandy, loamy sand and peat soils).
How to get acidic soil
In some cases, the gardener is not asked how to reduce the acidity of the soil, but rather how to increase it. This is due to the fact that some garden crops feel good precisely on such soils. To do this, marsh peat is used as fertilizer, which can significantly lower the pH level.
Even if there are no special problems with soil acidity at the moment, it is still necessary to periodically check it. This is necessary in order to take timely measures to increase soil fertility. Knowing the signs of acidic soil in the garden and garden, doing this is much easier.