Understand if the soil is acidic or alkaline
In general we can say that Terren the sand tend to be acid, while clay and 
alkaline calcareous; to remedy an excessive acidity of the lime must be added, while giving more to the soil alkalinity you will proceed with manure fertilization.
The rainwater or irrigation water that circulates in the soil will fray to particles of the soil which we call mineral salts, present in the soil the same or added with the manuring. Part of these salts is retained by the clay in the soil (absorbency), others are dissolved in water (soil solution) thus arriving to the roots of plants.
The pH of the soil depends on the amount of ions OH or H present in the solution circulating: with more ions OH the reaction is basic or alkaline, with more H ions is acidic. If H and OH ions are equivalent, the reaction is neutral.
The relationship between ions OH and H is measured with a scale of values that goes from O to 14: the acidity goes from O to 6.9, the maximum is O and the minimum 6.9; on 7 indicates neutrality (ie equality between OH ions and H); alkalinity ranging from 7.1 to 14, the maximum is 14 and the minimum 7.1.
Strongly acid soil: pH 4
Acid soil: pH 5
Moderately acid soil: pH 6
Land neutral pH 7
Calcareous soil: pH 8
Highly calcareous soil: pH 9
A soil with a pH greater than 7 is called alkaline. Is defined acid a soil with pH less than 6.5. Soils with pH values higher than 8.5 or lower to 4.5 are rare.
The chemical reaction ideal
The majority of the most common garden plants are indifferent to the type of soil, but likes soils with reaction that oscillate from pH 6.5 to pH 7.2.
Apart from that we have 3 categories:
those who tolerate or even prefer calcareous soils (or alkaline);
those who do not want to tolerate acid soils and calcareous soils;
both those that thrive in acid soils, both in calcareous soils.
Plants that do not tolerate calcareous soils can grow only in acid or neutral soils. The most important among these are the Rhododendrons, along with other plants such as azaleas, the Kalmia, Pieris on the Gaultheria, the Liquidambar, Hemp, heather, La Camelia, The Andromeda, The Quercus Ilex, Kalmia The and The Lupin.
Plants that like limestone soils give less good results in neutral to acidic soils (eg Rose).
Many vegetables grow best in slightly acidic soil with a pH of about 6.5, however, cabbages, beans, onions and asparagus grow in soils at pH 7.
Almost all the fruit requires a neutral or slightly acidic soil, while the figs and grapes to bear a slight alkalinity.
Each plant then has special needs in terms of pH . It is therefore very important to measure their value before implanting a garden or to use a substrate.
The knowledge of the degree of pH of the soil can be useful also in the cure of some diseases, such as the scabies of the potatoes which tends to attack in soils with high content of lime.
Measurement of the pH of the soil
Adhering to an empirical evaluation, we will say that generally the soils sandy tend to acidity, alkalinity and clay and limestone.
The lack of lime determines the acidity of the soil . If the soil is rich in lime is called alkaline. If lime is lacking in this acid.
To know the pH of your soil you can send a sample of soil to one of the specialized laboratories that offer this service for analysis, but there are marketing the products needed to perform a coarse control.
Take small samples in different parts of the garden and soak in the solution supplied with the equipment. Allow to settle the particles, then compare the color of the liquid with the color scale included in the package. The pH value is indicated by the intensity of the color assumed by the solution into the tube.
The control must be smooth, especially when you try to change an abnormal reaction. One of the most effective tools to measure the acidity of the soil pH meter is the Harvest, which is the only meter of soil pH to read immediate: just insert it into the ground and read the dial on the pH value .
The maps are only used when it is reactive enough to establish much about the pH of the soil and are particularly useful for wise guidance in the field.
You operate directly on the suspension of the ground soaking up the map soaked in liquid indicator, you then compare the color assumed from the map with that of a colored scale specially printed.
One type of maps is evenly moistened the various indicators in order to record the color change of pH indicator in the individual fields. The approximation of the essay is about 0.2-0.3 pH .
By Smigs
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Tags: materials , measurements , pH , substrates , land , soil
