alkaline soil

[pony]

I just had the garden soil tested for lead. The results say that it's safe, but it also said that the pH of our soil is 7.7 which is "moderately alkaline, too high for growth of many plants and indicates either severe overliming or a salt-affected soil" according to the report. What's the pH range, 0-14? We never put lime or salt into our garden and I guess I need to acidify it more but I don't know how. Does anyone have any suggestions?

[Chanley]

Well salt affected, you need a raised bed. Or just start adding manure (horse manure is best for this). Just till it in. If you are worried about seeds in the poop, rake out the manure, put down black plastic over it. This will heat it up and let the seeds germinate. Then remove the plastic and let a good frost kill the seedlings.

Till the manure in and begin anew.

Composting leaves, coffee grinds and sulphur will help over-alkaline soil.

to make it from 7.5 to 6.5 add 12.5 pounds of sulphur to 1000sq foot OR 25 pounds of aluminum sulfate for same results.

to change it from 8 to 6.5
Sulphur 20 pounds

or 40 for aluminum sulfate

Hope this helps!

[pony]

Thank you Chanley. Yes, this does help. I don't like the idea of putting manure into a vegetable garden (fear of parasites, and other toxins), and I don't think we have salt in our soil anyway. But I like the idea of putting coffee grounds into the soil. We don't drink coffee in my house, so I'll go to my local Starbucks--they give away coffee grounds free.