Acidic soil as determined by appearance. Soil acidity for major vegetable crops, flowers and trees

Not everyone has the opportunity to send a sample to a lab to find out. qualitative composition soil on your suburban area. However, this knowledge is very important for the care of the land. And then nature comes to the aid of the gardener. The plants settled here will tell you what type of soil your acres belong to and the presence of the amount of necessary microelements, as well as the condition of the planted horticultural crops.

Everything in nature is interconnected and harmonious. And every type of soil, whether acidic or alkaline, has its own plants that prefer that level of acidity. The level of acidity is usually determined by the pH value of the soil:
A soil with a pH of 4-5 is considered strongly acidic;
Slightly acidic - from 5.5 to 6.5;
Soils with a pH of about 7 are called neutral;
Salt or alkaline are lands with a pH above 7.

Plantain

How to identify acidic soil

Strongly acidic soils are not the most suitable conditions for growing garden crops. An indicator of such places is the presence of plantain on the site, horse sorrel, horsetail. Instead of garden beds, it is better to set up a garden here, since some plants, unlike most, even like high acidity. They are treated as ornamental plants(hydrangea, lupine, rhododendron, azalea, ranunculus) and some berry bushes(lingonberries, blueberries).

Plants that love acidic soil

On the weak acidic soils ah, there are wheatgrass, dandelion, clover, coltsfoot, chamomile, bluebell, fern, snowdrop, cornflowers. Here you can already afford to plant pumpkin and nightshade. This is a good place for growing cucumbers and zucchini, tomatoes and eggplants, potatoes and pumpkins. In addition, this suitable conditions for planting currants, gooseberries, lemongrass, sea buckthorn. If you plan to arrange flower beds and flower beds, choose geraniums, roses, peonies, tulips, daffodils for this site.

Neutral soil acidity

When nettle, shepherd's purse, quinoa predominate, this indicates a neutral acid reaction. This soil composition is favorable for growing most cultivated plants. These include: cabbage, beans, peas, carrots, beets, radishes, celery, parsley. This is a good place to plant apple and pear, plum and cherry trees. Will be successful and planting raspberries, garden strawberries. Lovers of floriculture will be pleased here lush bloom dahlia and bright irises.

Plants on alkaline soils

The alkaline nature of the soil is indicated by chicory, spotted spurge, thyme, sage, and bergenia. Under such conditions, cultivated plants are not very comfortable, and when the pH is above 8.5, the soil is not recommended for use under garden beds. On such soils it is necessary to neutralize salinity. Or settle on them dogwood, barberry, hawthorn, arnica, lilac, juniper. Cedar, quince, pear, crimson, apricot, mulberry will feel good here. For the flower garden choose edelweiss, gypsophila, geyher, delphinium, clematis, saxifrage, lavender.

Green indicators will tell you what substances are missing in the soil

In addition to acidity, it is useful to have knowledge about the deficiency of certain substances important for the development of vegetables in the soil. This can be determined by outward signs plants:
Lack of nitrogen produces a pale color and yellowing of the tops, fragile stems and small leaves;
Phosphorus - the color of the leaves becomes dark green with a blue or purple tint, they quickly dry out and fall off;
Potassium - the leaves turn brown, their edges wrinkle and twist down;
Calcium - the tips of the leaves die off, and the apical buds and roots are also damaged;
Bora - the apical buds and roots also suffer, in addition - the ovary falls or there is no flowering at all.

With a lack of magnesium, iron, copper in the soil, plants are more often affected by chlorosis.

Garden without hassle - the owners of personal plots dream about it and specialists take care of it, offering various ways facilitation of agricultural labor. And now the equipment, fertilizers and plant protection products are used, but the result is still not what they expected. So, it's time to return to the earth, in the truest sense of the word: to think about what soil all hopes are placed on. It is no coincidence that in almost all tips for gardeners it is recommended to take into account the acidity of the soil. It turns out that plants, like people, have their own taste preferences! Some vegetables like the soil sour, and some do not. If you do not take into account these features of plants and the soil in which they are planted, nothing will work! Therefore, today we will learn how to determine the acidity of the soil and take this into account in our flower beds.

Keeping in mind that in the composition of different soils in certain combinations there are many chemical substances, you need to take into account a special element - hydrogen. It is the amount of hydrogen ions that determines the level of soil acidity, which is referred to as pH. Having determined this level, it is compared with a special pH scale in order to know exactly what kind of soil you have to deal with.

Soil acidity values

The central indicator of this scale is the pH level = 6-7 units. This figure is an indicator of neutral soils. It is at this acidity that plants can safely absorb useful material from the ground.

Anything less than this indicator indicates a different degree of soil acidity. A level above 7.0 indicates that we have soils with a predominance of varying degrees of alkali.
Soil soil in terms of acidity belongs to one of the main types:

The relationship of soil acidity to plants

Knowing the acidity of the soil you are working on is not just for information. The main thing is to put this information into practice.
Gardeners must consider the effect of soil acidity on plants. After all nutrients that they introduce into the soil, different soils dissolve and assimilate in different ways, are more or less available for plantings.

Thus, phosphorus, zinc, iron, manganese, etc. are better absorbed by plants in an acidic (or slightly acidic) environment. Strongly acidic soil also makes it difficult and does not contribute to the enrichment of plants with nutrients, and in addition, plants grow worse, become more susceptible to diseases.

To provide timely and help you need your plantings, you need to know what is the acidity of the soil in your area.

Video "How to determine the acidity of the soil"

Determine the acidity of the soil

Determining the acidity of the soil is a process whose results are needed by every owner of a personal plot.
It is best to perform a soil analysis on initial stage land development. However, it is never too late to find out the characteristics of the soil of the site. If you still do not know the acidity of the land on which you grow plants, you should determine it. Your care of plants will become more competent and beneficial.

You can find out the acidity of the soil using chemical analysis soil, carried out by special laboratories.
The industry also offers to help land owners special device for measuring soil pH.

Gardeners have accumulated a lot of experience in determining the acidity of the soil and independently, by plants on the site. At the same time, methods of observation and analysis are also used, and the object of study is various plants and features of their development.

In addition, when determining the acidity of the soil, you can use improvised means:

1. Litmus;
2. Vinegar;
3. Plant-based fluids.

Let's take a closer look at how you can determine the acidity of the soil at home.

We buy a device and litmus

If you want to take advantage by special means, they will have to be purchased in specialized stores.
These funds include:

• pH meter

The device for determining the acidity of the soil

Having bought a special device - an acid meter, they determine the pH level of the soil, acting according to the instructions. Since the device has a long probe, you can determine the level on different depth. The number that appears on the scale after a while will be enough to correlate with soil types.

It is easy to use such a device. However, it is worth buying it if repeated use is expected, for example, by teaming up with neighbors in the plots. Buying a device for a single use is hardly appropriate for most land owners.
In this case, it is cheaper to purchase special litmus strips.

• Litmus paper

Litmus paper for self-determination of soil acidity

Purchased indicator strips should also be used in accordance with the instructions. To determine the level of acidity with litmus is possible only in a liquid medium. Therefore, a solution should be prepared using the analyzed soil. Soil samples for analysis are recommended to be taken from the entire site. Soil samples are dissolved in a small amount of water (a glass is enough), then litmus strips are lowered there and their color change is observed. The resulting color is compared with the scale on the package, and having learned the pH data, they correlate them with the indicators of different soils.

But even when there is neither a device nor indicator strips at hand, it is possible to determine which type of soil a particular soil belongs to.

Weeds to the rescue

Weeds, which gardeners consider their enemies, can help in this case! Because weeds, like other plants, show selectivity to the type of soil. By carefully looking at what exactly prevails on the site, weeds can accurately determine the acidity of the soil.

• On acidic soils (clay, peatlands) due to high level soil density is often observed stagnant water. This will not prevent the abundant growth of sorrel and plantain, horsetail or mosses, wild mustard, wood lice, sedges, lupins or buttercups.
• Neutral soil (chernozem) or slightly acidic soil (loam) prefer wheatgrass and quinoa, bindweed and chamomile, nettle, clover and cornflower.
• Alkaline soil (with a predominance of sand) can be recognized by plants, wild poppy or field mustard, wormwood.

How to determine the acidity of the soil folk remedies

You can also determine the level of acidity using other improvised means, using folk remedies. Of course, it is impossible to get the pH level in specific units when using these products. But it is quite possible to get a general impression of the soil on the site.

With soda

Plain baking soda may indicate that the soil is acidic. To use it, you need to mix not a large number of soil with water to make a thin slurry. Having poured dry soda on top, observe its reaction. An indicator of acidification is the characteristic hiss of soda.

Vinegar

In this case, you will need a dry primer, on which 4-5 drops of table vinegar are applied. If at the same time a hiss appears, then the soil under study is neutral.

With the help of tea

To determine the type of soil, you need to prepare a special tea, using not tea leaves, but cherry leaves or currant leaves. After infusion for 15-20 minutes, soil is added to the resulting solution. Now pay attention to the change in the color of the infusion. Coloring solution in blue color occurs when acidic soil is added, it turns green if neutral or alkaline soil has been added.

With grape juice

This method is used only in early spring or late autumn, before the appearance of green plants or after they disappear. The principle of analysis is also simple. Soil is added to the juice container. The change in color and "bubble" of the liquid is a clear indicator of soil acidification.

Acidity and horticultural crops

When planning your beds and flower beds, you should take into account what acidity of the soil should be for certain plants, know their peculiar preferences.

Many cultivated flower crops require soil with a neutral pH index.

Acidic soil is suitable for junipers, azaleas, violets, lilies of the valley, lupins, hydrangeas.

Change the color of garden hydrangea from white to pink

Slightly acidic soil will also enable the already listed crops to develop well. Roses, chamomiles, lilies, phloxes, and pines grown on such soil will delight.

On alkaline soils, clematis, peony, delphinium and other plants will feel good.

Reducing soil acidity

Knowing which soil is best for the plants you've chosen to plant, as well as knowing the pH of the vegetable and flower beds, will help you know which area of ​​the property needs to be re-soiled. Influence its acidity, make it more or less acidic, depending on the purpose for growing certain cultures, possibly.
To reduce acidity, “deacidify” the soil, it is necessary to introduce special substances into the soil: ash, lime, chalk or special preparations.

Ways to reduce soil acidity.

Ash

One of the affordable and effective ways to deoxidize the soil is to add wood ash. It is used to reduce acidity in the fall, application rates: 600 g of ash per 1 sq. m of soil.
It should be noted that the alkaline base of the ash, in addition to deoxidizing the soil, can deprive plants of access to the nutrients available in the soil due to the resulting chemical reaction. This should be kept in mind next year when using foliar feeding methods.

Lime

Slaked lime (fluff) is a very strong deoxidizer. It is also used in autumn period when fertilizer application to the soil is stopped. An even layer of lime applied to the soil is recommended to be embedded in the soil with a rake, and then watered. This procedure is carried out before autumn digging. Lime application rates per 1 sq. m are different: from 250-350 g - on slightly acidic soil to 500-750 g - on strongly acidic soil.

Video "How to determine the acidity of the soil and how to deoxidize it"

Chalk

On sandy and sandy loamy soil, you can use a less powerful deoxidizer - chalk. It can be applied not only in autumn, but also in spring, applying to moist soil.
Application rates per 1 square meter: from 100-200 g - on slightly acidic soil, up to 300-400 g - on strongly acidic soil.

Other deoxidation methods

In addition to the introduction of these alkaline substances, it is possible to deoxidize the soil by purchasing special preparations for a complex effect on the soil. They should be applied in the fall according to the indicated instructions, then it is recommended to water and dig the soil.
You can also use natural deoxidizers - green manure. They are sown before winter, and then buried in the soil when digging.

Increasing the acidity of the soil

Often a gardener needs to increase the acidity of the soil, make it less alkaline and more suitable for seedlings.
You can make the soil softer, saturate it with air using substances that act as soil oxidizers:

• Peat;
• Compost;
• Manure;
• Needles;
• Urea.

All of the listed substances, except for needles and urea, are recommended to be added to the soil in the fall, followed by digging.

The needles act as an oxidizing agent when used for mulching.

Urea has the ability to reduce the alkalinity of the soil, bringing it to a neutral state. Therefore, urea as an integral component is present in special complex mineral fertilizers.

When adding acidifiers, one should be alert to changes in soil quality, constantly analyzing its pH index so as not to make the soil overly acidic.
Armed with the knowledge of soil acidity, how to check this level and change it, you will make the results of your work more effective.

How to determine the acidity of the soil

When growing plants, gardeners sometimes face a situation where everything is done correctly, but the result of the work leaves much to be desired. Sometimes the reason for this lies in the level of acidity of the soil.

How to determine the acidity of the soil?

Most garden crops prefer slightly acidic, neutral and slightly alkaline. With strong acidity root system poorly developed, and the plant poorly absorbs nutrients. The alkaline environment is not very favorable for the development of plants - it prevents the absorption of a number of micro and macro elements.

The easiest way to find out the acidity of the soil is by plants.

If blueberries, wild rosemary, plantain, tricolor violet, horse sorrel, field speedwell, small sorrel, heather, sedge, white-beard, horsetail, pikulnik, field mint, fern, blueberry, creeping buttercup, Ivan da Marya grow magnificently on the site, there is an increase in soil acidity.

In cultivated areas where a decrease in soil acidity is noticed, chamomile, field bindweed, bluegrass, coltsfoot, garden thistle, quinoa, nettle, wood lice or the so-called stellaria, meadow clover, creeping couch grass coexist perfectly.

And in areas where checking the acidity of the soil gives a neutral indicator, spurge, adonis, garden thistle, white sweet clover, field bindweed and other plants grow well. Alkaline soil is preferred by wild poppy, larkspur, field mustard.

But of course, this method is very doubtful, so let's take a look at 2 simple ways find out the acidity of the soil:

Experience with currant

1. Conduct a little experiment: take 3-4 leaves of blackcurrant and pour a glass of boiling water over it. After the water has cooled, stir with a spoon and dip a lump of earth from your site into the water. If the water turns red, then you have a highly acidic soil; if it turns pink - medium acid; becomes light green - the soil is close to neutral; Well, if a slightly bluish tint appears, then the soil is alkaline.

2. At home with vinegar: Take a handful of earth and sprinkle with a few drops of vinegar. Surely everyone remembers extinguishing soda with vinegar. Therefore, if bubbles appear on a lump of earth or it begins to "boil", then this sample is normal in acidity, that is, it contains a normal amount of slaked lime.

What can be done to correct soil acidity?

Before changing the acidity of the soil on the site, it is necessary to take into account the possibility of planting plants that prefer acidic soils, and leave part of the site for such crops, and correct the rest. Many types of flowers, conifers, some trees grow well on slightly acidic and acidic soils.

BUT to reduce acidity liming (deoxidation) is used, which is carried out with care so as not to exceed the norm. If the pH is more than 5.5, then liming is not carried out.

Hydrated lime is used for liming wood ash or dolomite flour. Application rate - 300-1000 g per square meter, however, to reduce the level of acidity, a large amount of deoxidizer (alkali) should not be added, liming should be carried out as necessary in subsequent years. It should be taken into account that during liming, reactions that adversely affect plants are possible if some minerals are added at the same time.

Also for soil deoxidation you can use the planting of green manure, in particular lupine.

Alkaline soil can be brought closer to neutral acidity by regular application of manure, peat or compost. In order to increase the acidity of the soil, an average of 1 pH is enough for 3 kg of manure or 9 kg of compost per 1 m2 of soil.

The method of applying acidic fertilizers will also help: various sulfates, superphosphate, as well as nitrogen fertilizers: ammonium sulphate. However, elemental sulfur will be the most effective in this case.

It is important to create for plants favorable conditions and then they will delight us with their beauty and delicious fruits.

Instruction

Your efforts do not bring a good harvest. When cultivating vegetables, berries and fruits, it is important to eliminate all the reasons why good harvests cannot be achieved. most main reason is the fertility of the soil, and hence its acidity. Highly fertile soils are those that have a powerful humus horizon. The humus layer accumulates from organic matter and is located top layer soil, which is vital for plant development. The most powerful humus layer is found on chernozems, which reaches approximately 10% and is up to one meter deep. Gray forest, podzolic, tundra and desert soils are considered poor. These soils include 1-2% humus, with a layer of 5-15 cm. Soil acidity is directly related to fertility. High acidity is mostly observed on less fertile, with a low humus horizon and unstructured soils.

Sandy soils are very poor in composition and have an acidity of pH 4.0-4.5. From these soils, plants receive poorly such nutrients as nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, copper, but phosphorus is more available to plants. On such soils, cultivation is carried out by scattering dolomite flour, higher standards organic and nitrogen-potassium fertilizers.
Acidity values ​​range from pH 3.5 to 10.
Acidity classification:
- very acidic soil - pH 3.8-4.0;
- strongly acidic soil - pH 4.0-4.5;
- medium acid soil - pH 4.5-5.0;
- slightly acidic soil - pH 5.0-5.5;
- close to neutral - 5.5-6.0;
- neutral - 6.0-7.0;
- alkaline soil - 7.0-8.0.

Podzolic soils are considered acidic (pH 4.5-5.5),
- high-moor peat has a strongly acidic reaction (pH 3.2-4.2);
- lowland peat - the reaction is closer to neutral (pH 5.5-6.2).

The increased acidity of the soil prevents the normal development of plants. In acidic soil, nutrients are in an inaccessible form for plants, going bad absorption of nutrients. The work of microorganisms slows down and biological activity decreases. But there are plants that put up with the acidic reaction of the soil, for example, a pH of 4.8-5.0 is enough for swede. For potatoes, a pH of 5.0-5.5 is sufficient. And yet, most plants prefer neutral or close to neutral soil.
One way to determine acidity is with an electronic pH meter or litmus papers. Weeds that populate your site will also tell you the acidity of the soil.
Lovers of acidic soils: Ivan da Marya, sedge, creeping buttercup, blueberry, mint, violet, horsetail, blueberry, horse sorrel, fern, plantain.
Slightly acidic soils like: quinoa, bindweed, creeping couch grass, meadow clover, wood lice, chamomile, coltsfoot, nettle.
Neutral soils will be determined by the presence of: adonis, milkweed, thistle, white sweet clover.

To neutralize acidic soils and increase fertility important trick considered "liming of acidic soils". Liming - the introduction of lime materials into the soil: - dolomite flour, slaked lime, ground chalk, lime tuff, cement dust, wood ash. Hilly and waterlogged areas are limed in summer or early autumn. In early spring liming is carried out together with digging. Lime is scattered before organics are added and mineral fertilizers. It is important to consider the effect of lime on fertilizer efficiency. Soil liming reduces the availability of phosphorus nutrition, it is important to take this fact into account and simultaneously apply a dose phosphate fertilizer. Liming is carried out once every ten years. Alkaline soils are harmful to plants, as are acidic ones. It is important not to overuse.

Related videos

Soil acidity is one of the main criteria for its quality. It depends on the predominance in the soil of certain chemical elements and is subdivided into acidic, neutral and alkaline, depending on the pH value.

You will need

• - litmus paper;
• - a piece of chalk;
• - rubber glove.

Instruction

Before measuring acidity, remember that according to the pH level, strongly acidic soils with a pH range of 3-4 are distinguished, acidic - 4-5 pH, slightly acidic soils - 5-6 pH, neutral - 6-7 pH, soils have a pH in the range of 7-8 , and strongly alkaline - 8-9 pH. This value varies from 0 to 14. A change in pH by 1 unit means a change in acidity in one direction or another by 10 times.

Mix the soil thoroughly and add purified or distilled water. Immerse a litmus test in the resulting suspension, which is saturated with water and chemicals washed out of the soil. Depending on the level of acidity of the studied soil, litmus will change its original color. By comparing the resulting color with the supplied standard litmus color change scale, the acidity of the soil can be determined.

The main desire of a gardener or gardener is good harvest. But sometimes all efforts are in vain, and the reason is soil, acidity, or rather, its deviation from the norm. How to determine the acidity of the soil yourself? Can this be done without tools? What determines soil acidity? The main reason is the presence of hydrogen ions in the soil in one quantity or another. Most plants like slightly acidic, almost neutral soil with an acidity of 5.5-6.5. The exception is sorrel, lupine, potatoes - they prefer acidic soil.

On soils with hyperacidity many plants are less able to absorb the nutrients they need due to the fact that aluminum and manganese are activated. And they are toxic to plants, the soil microflora ceases to process organic matter, and useful substances do not pass into an assimilated form. Acidity is indicated by the pH sign, and it can be determined using special instruments or without them.

How to determine the acidity of the soil without instruments yourself

There are several fairly simple ways.

1. It is necessary to dig a hole 25-35 cm deep and take some earth from the bottom. Lightly moisten the soil with settled or rain water (it is undesirable from the tap, as it contains chlorine) and press litmus paper tightly against it. This paper can be purchased at gardening stores. If it changes color from yellow to pink (pH 3 to 5), then the soil is acidic; if it turns green or blue (pH 7 to 10), then it is alkaline.
2. Drop ordinary food 9% vinegar on a handful of soil: if bubbles appear or you hear that the soil hisses, then it is not acidic, it contains alkali.
3. Make a decoction of fresh currant and cherry leaves (1 cup of leaves per 1 liter of water). Cool the broth and add 3-4 tablespoons of earth there. Stir. If the water acquires a reddish tint, the soil is acidic, if it is bluish, it is slightly acidic, and if it is greenish, then it is neutral.

More accurately, acidity will be determined by a special device - a soil pH meter. Well, if this is not at hand, then what kind of soil will tell the weeds growing on your site.

They love acidic soils: fern, plantain, tricolor violet, creeping ranunculus, sedge, horsetail, wild rosemary, field speedwell, horse sorrel, small sorrel, heather, white-bearded, pikulnik, field mint, blueberries.

Slightly acidic soils are preferred - nettle, wood lice (stellate), clover, creeping wheatgrass, coltsfoot, quinoa, wild rose, garden thistle, meadow clover.

Euphorbia, adonis, garden thistle, white sweet clover, field bindweed, chicory, shepherd's purse, and other weeds grow on neutral soils.

On alkaline - poppy self-seed, white drowsiness, field mustard, larkspur.

To be honest, I did not do any soil tests on my site. But, judging by the fact that, unfortunately, sow thistle, wood lice, euphorbia, wheatgrass, field bindweed grow in my country, the earth in my dacha is slightly acidic, and in some places close to normal.

Once I watched a program on the Zagorodny TV channel and agronomists said that it is not at all necessary that the soil on the entire site has the same acidity - the pH of the earth can be different within the same garden or garden. So, for example, only in one place of the garden does the shepherd's purse weed grow. Most likely, the soil in this place has a neutral acidity. And at the opposite end of the site, wood lice grow, I think that the soil there is slightly acidic.

How to reduce the acidity of the soil

You can reduce acidity if you add materials that neutralize it: carefully crushed lime or dolomite flour, ground chalk, lake lime, silt, wood ash at the rate of 1-2 kg per 1 sq. m and even eggshells.

They need to be evenly scattered over the surface of the site. It is better to do this during the autumn digging of the earth. But keep in mind that liming cannot be carried out simultaneously with the introduction organic fertilizers, otherwise nitrogen, useful for plants, is neutralized.

The change in acidity in the soil does not occur immediately, over 3-4 years, and depends on the dose of liming, so it needs to be checked annually.

How to increase the acidity of the soil

Alkaline soil is also not suitable for all plants. The alkaline environment interferes with the absorption of some micro and macro elements. It can be brought closer to a neutral acidity index by adding manure, peat or compost. For example, to increase acidity by 1 pH, 3 kg of manure or 9 kg of compost per 1 m 2 will be required. You can make sulfate, superphosphate, ammonium sulfate, and also better fit sulfur.

And one more tip: before improving the soil, think carefully about what crops you will plant this season. It may make sense to divide your site into segments and change the acidity of the soil in accordance with the requirements of a particular plant species.