I have a garden plot in my front yard in which I’m growing a variety of vegetables and herbs. The average soil ph is about 6.5, which is too far alkaline to properly grow blueberries. Is it possible for me to lower the ph (using sulfur, etc) of just one corner of the garden (say, 2 sq ft) without affecting the entire rest of the plot? Will I need to use some sort of in-ground divider? Or really, will blueberries grow just fine in a ph between 6 and 6.5 and just not produce as much? This is only for a home garden, so I’m not concern with really high yield.
Is It Possible To Lower The Ph Of One Corner Of A Garden Plot, Vs. The Whole Thing? (growing Blueberries)?
Posted on February 9, 2010 by sabahan | home and garden
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3 Responses to “Is It Possible To Lower The Ph Of One Corner Of A Garden Plot, Vs. The Whole Thing? (growing Blueberries)?”
To acidify your soil mix peat moss with the soil using about 1/3 peat moss and 2/3 soil. Then add aluminum sulphate using the recommended amount. Cover the area with two inches of pine bark mulch. The blueberries will thrive.
if should be just fine
Neutral Ph is 7.0. Anything higher than that is considered alkaline: below that it’s acidic. Your Ph of 6.5 is already slightly acidic.
If you want to make it more acidic work some spruce or pine needles in. Also the traditional (old-fashioned) way to lower the Ph is to add Epsom Salts (magnesium sulphate). Many gardens and farmland are depleted of magnesium and plants do need it to produce chlorophyll. Humans need it for good health as well. Why put a known neuro-toxin (aluminum) in your garden when you can cheaply add micro-nutrients?
Another option is to grow Saskatoon berries (Amelanchier alnifoliar). This a bush that is native to the Canadian prairie. It’s very hardy (zone 2) and is adapted to alkaline soil. The berries are very good to eat out-of-hand and in pies.