Soil acidity for plants: a table of required indicators, how it affects

Acidity is one of the most important soil characteristics. It affects the conditions in which plants will grow, their condition and yield. Consider the norms of soil acidity for plants in the table, how and by what means to increase or decrease it if it deviates greatly from normal. Why is the violation of the acid-base balance of the soil dangerous?

Acidity rates for different plants

For each type of garden and garden plants, the acidity of the soil should be different. The reaction of the soil environment, which is measured in pH, depends on the amount of hydrogen ions dissolved in the soil complex, it is an indicator of how acidic or alkaline the soil is.

The average value of the soil environment scale is 7, which indicates a neutral reaction. For vegetables, fruit trees, shrubs and most flowers, it is preferred. A reaction from 7 to 3.5 indicates acidic soil and the lower it is, the more acidic the soil. From 7 to 11 - alkaline. A decrease or increase in pH by one means a decrease or increase in acidity by 10 times.

On the ground with what acidity different crops prefer to grow, you can see in the table:

Corn6-7Peas Sunflower Potato 5-5.5 7-7.5 6.7-7.4 6.8-7.5 Tomatoes6,3-6,7 RadishesAbove 5.5 Carrots 5.5-7 Cucumbers6-7.9

Culture	Acidity
Wheat	6-7.5
6-7
6-6,8
	Sugarbeet
	Cabbage
	Beetroot
Salad	6-7

Ways to increase acidity

To acidify sandy or sandy loamy soil, it is necessary to add humus, manure, compost, rotted sawdust or needles, that is, any organic fertilizers. Acidity will not change quickly, acidification will occur slowly and gradually, but the effect will last a long time. This happens because acidifying substances are produced by bacteria that process organic matter. For alkaline soil to become slightly acidic, you need to make organic matter for several years in a row.

On clay, especially waterlogged soil, the introduction of organic matter increases acidity faster, since the activity of microorganisms in it is higher.

Many mineral fertilizers, s altpeter, urea, potassium s alts, that is, those that are used everywhere, have an acidifying effect. Their action is also gradual; it is impossible to quickly change the acidity with their help.It is also impossible to exceed the application dose in order to influence the acidity.

In addition to traditional fertilizers, colloidal sulfur, iron or aluminum sulfate have an acidifying effect. Substances must be accurately dosed, exceeding the allowable dose will harm the plants. Sulfur is added at the rate of 4 g per 10 liters of soil, iron sulfate - 50 g per 1 sq. m., aluminum sulfate - 75 g per 1 sq. m. m.

Sphagnum peat acidifies the soil well, it is brought in for digging at 1.5 kg per 1 sq. m and mixed with soil. In addition, peat loosens the soil perfectly, making it permeable to air.

There is a popular way to quickly increase acidity - the use of organic acids - malic, citric or acetic. Dissolve 1-2 tsp in a bucket of water. acid and water the ground with a solution, spending the volume of 1 bucket per 1 sq. m.

Green manure is able to slightly acidify the soil: oats, white mustard and rapeseed. The roots of these plants release organic acids into the ground. Legumes (lupine, soy, vetch) are able to maintain pH balance.

How to lower soil acidity

Soils with acidity, weak or strong, are more common than alkaline soils. A common method for leveling acidity is liming, that is, adding fluffy lime (slaked) to the soil. In addition to lime, chalk, dolomite flour are used. They spend, on average, 0.5 kg per 1 sq. m. on the ground with a slightly acidic reaction and up to 1.5 kg - with a strongly acidic one. Lime should be applied in autumn or spring, at least 3 weeks before sowing or planting.

Sand, sawdust should be added to heavy clay soil to make it more permeable to air. Waterlogged soil must be drained, creating a drainage system on the site.

How dangerous is the disturbed acid-base balance of the soil?

Neutral or slightly acid reaction is preferred by most species of cultivated plants, some flowers and conifers are acidic. More often, increased acidity leads to inhibition of plants, they develop poorly, reduce yields. In an acidic environment, mineral elements turn into forms that are difficult for plants to digest, and the activity of soil microorganisms slows down.

Such soils contain a lot of s alts of iron, aluminum, manganese, in highly acidic soils their amount can be critical. S alts bind potassium, magnesium, calcium, and other useful trace elements that can no longer be absorbed by the roots. In addition, they are washed into the lower layers of the soil by rain and melt water, which also reduces soil fertility.

With high acidity, not only oppression can be observed, but also the death of plants for no apparent reason. They get sick more often and are attacked by pests, freeze out in winter.

Slow growth and poor development of plants are also observed on alkaline soils. Many trace elements in them are also inaccessible to plants due to the fact that they are in the form of insoluble hydroxides. The lack of mineral elements affects the appearance of plants, they quickly turn yellow, because they do not receive enough nutrition.

Soil acidity, its level, affect the development and condition of plants and, above all, agricultural ones. A large deviation from the average value is not favorable conditions for their normal development and harvest from them. When growing plants, it is customary to take measures to reduce or increase acidity in order to make the soil the most suitable for plant life.

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