Lower the pH of my garden soil

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crabbygardener Durham, NC Feb 09, 2014

Question: I had my garden's soil tested last year, and the pH was around 7. Most of the plants I want to grow (tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, broccoli) like the soil a little acidic, so I was wondering what's the best way to reduce the soil pH. I suspect that the neutral pH affected the flavor of my tomatoes, as the ones I grew in pots tasted quite a bit better than those in the garden beds. Of course, that's anecdotal evidence, but...
Thanks!

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Cville_Gardener Clarksville, TN(Zone 7a) Feb 10, 2014

Adding compost or composted manure is a good place to start. I understand that rather than lowering the pH, it acts as a buffer. If you want to be more aggressive, you can add garden sulphur.

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drdawg43 Starkville, MS(Zone 8a) Feb 10, 2014

Save your coffee grounds and amend your soil with that. It will lower the pH. Sprinkling some around plants will help prevent slugs/snails from invading that area. Adding a small amount to the "urns" of bromeliads, will prevent mosquito larva from developing in the spring/summer months. They make a great addition to your compost pile and also to your worm bed.

I never flush the grounds down the drain or throw them in the trash any longer.

Ken

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paulgrow Allen Park, MI(Zone 6a) Feb 11, 2014

Soil Sulfur will lower the pH.

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yardqueen1948 Emory, TX(Zone 8a) Feb 16, 2014

does the coffee need to have been brewed first or can you use coffee that is straight from the can that has gone stale


This message was edited Feb 16, 2014 2:38 PM

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paulgrow Allen Park, MI(Zone 6a) Feb 16, 2014

This might help
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/groundsforgardening.html

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drdawg43 Starkville, MS(Zone 8a) Feb 16, 2014

I don't know the answer to that question since I have always used the grounds after brewing. I don't know whether the boiling water breaks the coffee down and thus is necessary for use in the garden. Perhaps you could simply dump what you have that has gone stale (keep your coffee in the freezer to greatly prolong usefulness) in a pot of water and boil it for a few minutes. Once cooled, it should be good to go, using the water and grounds in the garden/compost.

Ken

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avrac Cambridge, United Kingdom Jun 02, 2014

Composted pine needles are also very good for lowering pH.

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