pH

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What is meant by the term pH

pH stands for potential of Hydrogen and is a number between one and fourteen. A substance that is neither acid or alkaline is said to be neutral and as a pH value of 7. The more acidic the substance is the lower the number. The more alkaline a substance is the higher the number is.

How does pH relate to gardening

Soils that are too acidic are described as being sour. However certain plants have naturally adapted to high acid concentrations, The name applied to these plants are acid loving plants.

Acid levels in soils are due to a combination of factors. The rain that falls is slightly acidic in nature. (Especially with so called acid rain created by sulphur fumes from burning fossil fuels producing sulphuric acid). The decomposition of organic matter produce acid too.

Alkaline soils are likely to occur where limestone is very near the surface or in drought prone areas. Too higher concentration will lock up the nutrients available to the plant.

Web Resources

Google definition of  Acid.
Google definition of  Alkaline
Google definition of  pH