"Nick Maclaren" wrote
Bob Hobden wrote:
Strangely, our new allotment has soil with a pH of approx 5.5 (and a
decidedly reddish tint). Previous allotments have been around neutral as
is
our soil at home.
Is there anything I can use to bring the pH up to around neutral and that
has a buffering effect to keep it there. I know all about lime but that's
only a temporary measure.
Could grow blueberries in bulk!

Lime is not very mobile in the soil, so a serious treatment would
last for a decade or so.


Can't believe that there is so much difference in the soil in less than 2
miles and all within the Thames floodplain.

Talking to another plot holder down there he said he put 5 cwt of lime on
his plot to bring it up to pH7.5 just to grow his brassicas (clubroot is a
problem). That's an awful lot of lime, but then I haven't even started
putting on manure yet which will probably lower the pH even more if that's
possible.

Mushroom compost is alkaline, and there is a mushroom farm locally that
advertise on our site, but I don't think it would make much difference to
this pH, it's so acidic. If it's not too expensive I will get a few loads
anyway, the soil needs some organic matter although it's full of worms which
I take as a good sign.

First job then is to buy a hand held pH meter as it's going to be an ongoing
problem.

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London