I need to lower the PH of the soil for the black berries, etc...

Is powdered sulphur (sulfur?) the least expensive way to lower
the PH in our area?

If so, where do I go to get the best deal around the Austin
area? I'm going to need 100 pounds or so. Bulk?

Here's a link that I was reading:
http://homepages.which.net/~fred.moor/soil/ph/p0104.htm

Has anyone tried lime?

Thanks,
Gene
Briggs, TX


--
eMail:

Trying to lower the pH of your soil is like trying to empty Town Lake with
a bucket.

--
Victor M. Martinez

http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv

I manage a few plants with acidic PH requirements, but I cannot imagine what
someone plans to do w/ 100 pounds of sulphur. As Victor said, it will be a
never-ending battle.


Greg

"Victor M. Martinez" wrote in message
...
Trying to lower the pH of your soil is like trying to empty Town Lake with
a bucket.

--
Victor M. Martinez

http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv

HEE HEE good one.

If you insist on trying you probably will do better with granular
sulfur. I've used Dispersul in the past with good results in
improving the tilth of blackland clay.

Chris in Aquatic Austin


"Victor M. Martinez" wrote in message ...
Trying to lower the pH of your soil is like trying to empty Town Lake with
a bucket.

--
Victor M. Martinez

http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv

Another method is the addition of as much compost as you can afford, then the
use of a product called Sul-po-mag. It has sulfur, potassium and magnesium. It
helps synthesize the elements into something a plant can uptake. Compost tends
to neutralize soil.

Everyone is correct, though. You will never be successful lowering the pH of
any soil, permanently.


On Fri, 6 Jun 2003 09:11:27 -0500, "chris"
wrote:

HEE HEE good one.

If you insist on trying you probably will do better with granular
sulfur. I've used Dispersul in the past with good results in
improving the tilth of blackland clay.

Chris in Aquatic Austin


"Victor M. Martinez" wrote in message ...
Trying to lower the pH of your soil is like trying to empty Town Lake with
a bucket.

--
Victor M. Martinez

http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv

Gene, I'm pretty sure that lime is gonna go the *wrong* way.

Dale


wrote in message
...
I need to lower the PH of the soil for the black berries, etc...

Is powdered sulphur (sulfur?) the least expensive way to lower
the PH in our area?

If so, where do I go to get the best deal around the Austin
area? I'm going to need 100 pounds or so. Bulk?

Here's a link that I was reading:
http://homepages.which.net/~fred.moor/soil/ph/p0104.htm

Has anyone tried lime?

Thanks,
Gene
Briggs, TX


--
eMail:

"dt" wrote in message
...
Gene, I'm pretty sure that lime is gonna go the *wrong* way.

Dale


Do lemons work better?

On Fri, 06 Jun 2003 16:44:32 GMT, animaux
wrote:

Everyone is correct, though. You will never be successful lowering the pH of
any soil, permanently.

You can get a rough number for how much sulfur it takes by sending a
soil sample to the Texas Ag Extension Service's Soils Lab at A&M and
looking at the measure for "Excess Calcium".

My soil, probably similar to yours, would require on the order of
9,000 pounds of sulfur per acre to handle the top 6 inches (plow
depth). I leak a little Disposul (200 #) on it every year but that
takes something like 30 years to even come close and by that time what
is below 6 inches probably leaks up.

I also add quit a bit of phosphorus as that goes into calcium
phosphate. So with the calcium sulfate and calcium phosphate I am
creating, I will, if I live long enough, end up with a "plaster" yard.

Rusty Mase


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That was my thinking as well, but the folks raising black berries
in this are assure me that applying 3# of powered sulphur per
50' row of berries will do the job. I'm gonna try it - can't hurt:-)

I read somewhere on the www that "lime" will do the job, but
takes ~ 2 or 3 months to work? I was thinking that lime would
make the soil more alkaline, but the site said it would make
the soil more acidic? Now I'm confused, but that's normal for
me:-)

Gene




"Rusty Mase" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 06 Jun 2003 16:44:32 GMT, animaux
wrote:

Everyone is correct, though. You will never be successful lowering the
pH of
any soil, permanently.

You can get a rough number for how much sulfur it takes by sending a
soil sample to the Texas Ag Extension Service's Soils Lab at A&M and
looking at the measure for "Excess Calcium".

My soil, probably similar to yours, would require on the order of
9,000 pounds of sulfur per acre to handle the top 6 inches (plow
depth). I leak a little Disposul (200 #) on it every year but that
takes something like 30 years to even come close and by that time what
is below 6 inches probably leaks up.

I also add quit a bit of phosphorus as that goes into calcium
phosphate. So with the calcium sulfate and calcium phosphate I am
creating, I will, if I live long enough, end up with a "plaster" yard.

Rusty Mase


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Newsgroups
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wrote:
takes ~ 2 or 3 months to work? I was thinking that lime would
make the soil more alkaline, but the site said it would make
the soil more acidic? Now I'm confused, but that's normal for

The site is wrong. Lime is alkaline.

--
Victor M. Martinez

http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv

Lime is base, not acidic. By the way, blueberries and blackberries are
completely different. You can grow blackberries in this soil without much of
any fussing. Proper pruning out old canes is what you need to know how to do,
rather than adjusting pH. I have blackberries, I believe they are 'Navaho'
variety. Our soil is slightly base, about 7.8

Victoria


On Sun, 8 Jun 2003 11:11:11 -0500, wrote:

That was my thinking as well, but the folks raising black berries
in this are assure me that applying 3# of powered sulphur per
50' row of berries will do the job. I'm gonna try it - can't hurt:-)

I read somewhere on the www that "lime" will do the job, but
takes ~ 2 or 3 months to work? I was thinking that lime would
make the soil more alkaline, but the site said it would make
the soil more acidic? Now I'm confused, but that's normal for
me:-)

Gene




"Rusty Mase" wrote in message
.. .
On Fri, 06 Jun 2003 16:44:32 GMT, animaux
wrote:

Everyone is correct, though. You will never be successful lowering the
pH of
any soil, permanently.

You can get a rough number for how much sulfur it takes by sending a
soil sample to the Texas Ag Extension Service's Soils Lab at A&M and
looking at the measure for "Excess Calcium".

My soil, probably similar to yours, would require on the order of
9,000 pounds of sulfur per acre to handle the top 6 inches (plow
depth). I leak a little Disposul (200 #) on it every year but that
takes something like 30 years to even come close and by that time what
is below 6 inches probably leaks up.

I also add quit a bit of phosphorus as that goes into calcium
phosphate. So with the calcium sulfate and calcium phosphate I am
creating, I will, if I live long enough, end up with a "plaster" yard.

Rusty Mase


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On Sun, 8 Jun 2003 11:11:11 -0500, wrote:

That was my thinking as well, but the folks raising black berries
in this are assure me that applying 3# of powered sulphur per
50' row of berries will do the job. I'm gonna try it - can't hurt:-)

Actually, I think it can. Powdered sulfur is flammable so do not
smoke or get a flame near it until it has been wetted. That is why
products like Disposul and Victoria's Sul-po-mag (although we hardly
need additional magnesium in our soils) as it is granular.

Powdered sulfur also is more easily carried to your clothing, body,
etc., where it starts oxidizing to sulfur oxides, which stink badly.
Using any elemental sulfur material can lead to this stench so be
careful with the clothes you wear when you put out sulfur of any type.

Rusty Mase


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On Sun, 08 Jun 2003 18:47:24 -0500, Rusty Mase wrote:


Actually, I think it can. Powdered sulfur is flammable so do not
smoke or get a flame near it until it has been wetted. That is why
products like Disposul and Victoria's Sul-po-mag (although we hardly
need additional magnesium in our soils) as it is granular.

Soils in Texas, for the most part, are lacking in magnesium. Most of the clay
soils here have iron, but it is unavailable due to the deficiency of magnesium.
My soil, at least, has an overabundance of phosphorous, not magnesium.

Powdered sulfur also is more easily carried to your clothing, body,
etc., where it starts oxidizing to sulfur oxides, which stink badly.
Using any elemental sulfur material can lead to this stench so be
careful with the clothes you wear when you put out sulfur of any type.

Rusty Mase

Which is a great reason why native plants are important. Some adapted,
non-invasive species are okay, but to have true success, there are so many
native ornamental species we would never have to use an exotic species at all.
This year I am working on removing many of the plants which are non-native AND
invasive. My husband is sad because that means I'll have room for MORE plants!

v