I recently picked up a soil pH meter and took a series of readings
across my garden. Most of my results were in the 6.0 to 6.8 range,
but I do have one corner of my garden where the pH ranges from 5.2 to
5.9. I added some slow release, pellitized lime, but I understand
that can take up to 6 months to dissolve and change the pH. I have
onions, tomatos, peas, beans and radishes planted in this area. 2
questions, how bad is a 5.2 pH on these plants and should I perhaps
carefully sprinkle some quick lime on the surface and incorporate
this? My rows are spaced at 18" so I should be able to do this
without touching any plants. Or would this cause a too radical pH
swing and am I better off suffering with the present pH until it
slowly adjusts?