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How to Control Acidity

Soil acidity refers to the concentration of hydrogen, aluminum and positively charged ions. The soil acidity of a region will determine what trees, grass and crops can grow there. The mostly widely used indicator of acidity is pH, a logarithmic scale ranging from 0 to 14, which measures the concentration of hydrogen ions per liter. Most plants grow well in soil with a pH of 5.8 to 7, but if your soil acidity is much higher, crops are likely to struggle. However, some plants, such as centipede turf, camellias and potatoes, actually do better in acidic soils. (See references 1 and 2.)

Things You'll Need

To control soil acidity, you will need the following:
Acidity testing equipment
Lime
Rakes
Spades
Spreaders

Instructions

- 1
  Choose what crops you want to plant in your soil. The optimum acidity of a soil varies, depending on what crops or plants you want to grow. For example, corn, millet and soybeans do well in soils with a pH of 6.0, but apples, peaches and alfalfa thrive in soils with a pH of 6.5. (See reference 2.)
- 2
  Test the pH and Ac value of your soil. You need both the pH level and Ac value, also known as exchangeable acidity level, of your soil to determine how to manage your soil's acidity. (See reference 2.)
- 3
  Calculate how much lime, in tons, you need to add per acre of soil to reach your desired level of acidity by using this formula: Lime (ton/acre) = Ac x [(target pH -- current pH)/(6.6 -- current pH)] -- RC. The RC stands for residual credit, and its value depends on if you have previously applied lime that still has not fully reacted. Lime can take up to 12 months to fully react. (See reference 2.)
- 4
  Apply the required amount of lime to your soil. The method you use will depend on the type of soil and its purpose. Lime can be applied for field crops by spinner spreaders and double spinner spreaders, whereas lawns and gardens can be worked with spades and rakes. (See reference 2.)

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