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If your plants are not doing well, there are a few things that you can do to figure out what the problem is! If you have evergreen trees in your yard, for instance, the needles that they drop will add acidity to the soil below over time. Both the acidity and the potential for shade overhead can create variables for certain types of plants.
We’ll return to that set of circumstances in a second. What if you have poor plant outcomes, and no needles are in the vicinity? In either case –needles or not – you should not ever assume the acidity before you try to change the pH level of the soil. Start by testing the soil!
Dutch Growers has a variety of soil-testing products that are inexpensive and allow you to test your soil’s pH level at home. The scientific symbol pH refers to the concentration of hydrogen ions. The pH number of your soil indicates the presence or absence of minerals important to healthy plant growth.
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Your soil’s pH number will be between 0 and 14. Soil is considered acidic if its pH is at or below 5. It’s too alkaline if the results are above pH 7.5. Neutral soil varies, but should be between 5.5 and 7.
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Once you figure out whether your soil is truly acidic or not, then you can move on to the next step: if the soil is extremely acidic, you will need to treat the soil to make the pH level more neutral. Dutch Growers carries agricultural lime, which is a soil conditioner that can neutralize acids. (Fun fact! Some varieties of hydrangeas can change colour by marginally changing the acidity or alkalinity of the soil; aluminum sulfate will make the soil more acidic, turning certain hydrangeas blue. On the other hand, agricultural lime will turn the hydrangeas pink. Neat, hey?!).
Mildly acidic soils might be difficult to avoid with a constant supply of evergreen needles. Therefore, you may wish to plant perennials that can tolerate some acidity in the soil. Keeping in mind that extreme acidity will not allow anything to grow, there are some perennials that you can use in these spaces.
Acidity in soil can cause less-than-ideal outcomes for your plants: acidity in the soil can prevent your plant from accessing the nutrition in the soil. Even if you have regular application of fertilizer, high acidity will nullify any of the benefits that fertilizer might otherwise provide. Read our blog on acidity in soil for how to test for it, and what plants to place in these areas.
.png)
Acidity in soil can cause less-than-ideal outcomes for your plants: acidity in the soil can prevent your plant from accessing the nutrition in the soil. Even if you have regular application of fertilizer, high acidity will nullify any of the benefits that fertilizer might otherwise provide. Read our blog on acidity in soil for how to test for it, and what plants to place in these areas.
If your plants are not doing well, there are a few things that you can do to figure out what the problem is! If you have evergreen trees in your yard, for instance, the needles that they drop will add acidity to the soil below over time. Both the acidity and the potential for shade overhead can create variables for certain types of plants.
We’ll return to that set of circumstances in a second. What if you have poor plant outcomes, and no needles are in the vicinity? In either case –needles or not – you should not ever assume the acidity before you try to change the pH level of the soil. Start by testing the soil!
Dutch Growers has a variety of soil-testing products that are inexpensive and allow you to test your soil’s pH level at home. The scientific symbol pH refers to the concentration of hydrogen ions. The pH number of your soil indicates the presence or absence of minerals important to healthy plant growth.
Your soil’s pH number will be between 0 and 14. Soil is considered acidic if its pH is at or below 5. It’s too alkaline if the results are above pH 7.5. Neutral soil varies, but should be between 5.5 and 7.
Once you figure out whether your soil is truly acidic or not, then you can move on to the next step: if the soil is extremely acidic, you will need to treat the soil to make the pH level more neutral. Dutch Growers carries agricultural lime, which is a soil conditioner that can neutralize acids. (Fun fact! Some varieties of hydrangeas can change colour by marginally changing the acidity or alkalinity of the soil; aluminum sulfate will make the soil more acidic, turning certain hydrangeas blue. On the other hand, agricultural lime will turn the hydrangeas pink. Neat, hey?!).
Mildly acidic soils might be difficult to avoid with a constant supply of evergreen needles. Therefore, you may wish to plant perennials that can tolerate some acidity in the soil. Keeping in mind that extreme acidity will not allow anything to grow, there are some perennials that you can use in these spaces.
Solving Garden Problems: Perennials for Acidic Soil
Acidity in soil can cause less-than-ideal outcomes for your plants: acidity in the soil can prevent your plant from accessing the nutrition in the soil. Even if you have regular application of fertilizer, high acidity will nullify any of the benefits that fertilizer might otherwise provide. Read our blog on acidity in soil for how to test for it, and what plants to place in these areas.
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