With the weather warming up, we naturally gravitate to being outside and getting ready to tend to our garden’s needs. While you can fertilise your plants, spray them and care for them above ground, you may notice some plants don’t thrive where they are planted and mightdiscolour or even die off. Sometimes this may be due to what’s happening below ground to the pH of your soil.
Soil pH is a scale measuring the acidity or alkalinity of your soil, which determines the amount of nutrients available to plants. This will give you an indication of the types of plants that will thrive in that pH level or how much you need to amend the pH. This is especially important to know for edible plants as the availability of macronutrients will largely determine the leaf and fruit development of your plant.
Most plants thrive with a neutral pH (6.5-7.5) but some plants thrive in an acidic soil (5-6.5) such as Azaleas, Rhododendrons, and Camellias, or alkaline soil (7.5-8.5) like White Correa, Rosemary and Lavender.
Over time, your soil pH will change due to factors like weather and vegetation. Signs your pH level is either too alkaline or acidic include stunted growth, yellowing leaves, and brown spots. It is recommended to test your pH every few years to ensure it is kept at an optimum level. If the pH has become too acidic, you can use Garden Lime to increase pH, or if too alkaline, sulphur to lower. Pop in store for your pH testing and amending needs, fresh plants or for a chat about your gardening requirements.