How to independently determine the acidity of the soil

The acidity of the soil is one of its main indicators. Knowing the acidity of the soil, it is possible to plan with great success the planting of certain crops, as well as regulate this acidity using special chemical compounds.

What is soil acidity

Normal soil acidity is 7 pH. Very acidic soil has an indicator up to 4 pH, strongly acidic 4-4.5 pH, medium-acidic 4.5-5 pH, slightly acidic 5.1-5.5 pH. Soil acidity with values ​​above 7 pH causes an alkaline reaction. An example is the acidity of certain foods and household substances.

• Gastric acid is an example of a strongly acidic substance with a pH of not more than 2.
• Lemon juice, vinegar and Coca-Cola have an acidity of 2-3 pH.
• The acidity of beer, wine and apple juice is 3.5-4.5 pH.
• Milk and pure water have a neutral acidity of 6.5-7 pH.
• Substances with a pH above 7 have an alkaline reaction, this is soap and laundry bleach (9-12 pH).

How soil acidity affects plants

Everyone knows that plants absorb all the beneficial elements that are contained in the soil. But the content of these elements in the soil directly depends on acidity. Many crops that are grown in our strip most of all grow favorably in slightly acidic or neutral soil. In addition, fruits grown in acidic soil have a pronounced sour taste. There are several effective ways to determine the acidity of the soil at your summer cottage.

How to determine the acidity of the soil

Soil appearance
The very first and easiest way to determine the acidity of the soil is to carefully consider it. Highly acidic soil has a red and even rusty hue. Water accumulated in a lowland of acidic soil has a thin iridescent film on the surface.

You can also determine the acidity of the soil from plants that grow on this soil. After all, each weed grows only where the acidity of the soil satisfies all its needs.

1. Cornflower, highlander, spikelet, ivan da Maria, horsetail, cinquefoil, creeping buttercup, daisy, mint, heather, veronica oak, plantain, pikulnik, three-colored violet, horse sorrel grow on soil with high acidity. Usually acidic soil has high moisture.
2. Low acid soil is characterized by a large number of other plants. Among them are the bird highlander, alfalfa, coltsfoot, alfalfa, woodlice, sow thistle, nyvnyak, dogrose, burdock, chamomile, and wheat grass.
3. The following plants speak of neutral acidity of the soil - nettle, quinoa, red clover. In general, if nettle grows on a site, this is very good. This suggests that there are many organic acids in the soil that are beneficial for plants.
4. If the soil is dense and poor in useful minerals, then plants such as thistle, mustard, euphorbia, melilot, and tar will grow on the site.
5. On alkaline soil you can find poppy and field bindweed.

Thus, it is possible to determine the acidity of the soil only by those plants that grow on it. Also pay attention to the concentration of plants.In a soil of neutral acidity, as well as in slightly acidic soil, the plants feel great, so there are a lot of weeds in this area. And if the greens are scarce and low, then the soil, most likely, is alkaline.

Klychnikov Method
There is another way to determine the acidity of the soil at home. This is the well-known method of the agronomist Klychnikov.

1. Collect a little soil from the area whose acidity you want to determine.
2. Dry the ground and fill it with a bottle to half.
3. Then take a little chalk and wrap it in paper, not quite tight. Dip a piece of chalk in a bottle.
4. Put a compressed fingertip on the neck of the bottle. There should be no air in it, the fingertip should be flattened. Instead of a fingertip, you can use part of a rubber glove, the main thing is tightness.
5. Then the bottle must be shaken so that the chalk spills out and mixes with the soil. For the purity of the experiment, shake the bottle, holding it with a towel or a cloth glove so that the heat from the hands is not transferred to the glass.
6. If the soil is acidic, then when interacting with chalk, it will begin to emit carbon dioxide. In this case, the pressure in the bottle increases, and the fingertip is filled with air.
7. The acid level is determined as the gas is filled with the fingertip. If the fingertip is completely full, and when squeezing, sufficient pressure is felt, then the acidity of the soil is high. If the pressure is medium, then the soil is slightly acidic.

This simple method will help determine the acidity of the soil without any laboratory tests.

Litmus test
It is a piece of paper soaked in various indicator substances. Litmus paper has several colors, each of which corresponds to a certain acidity.

The principle of determining acidity is as follows. Soil is collected in a piece of clean cloth, the acidity of which must be determined. The knot is tightly tied and lowered into distilled water. When the water is sufficiently saturated with soil, a litmus paper is lowered into it for several seconds. After that, one of the colors appears on paper, which must be compared on a scale. Each color corresponds to a specific acidity. Color from yellow to red is an indicator of acidic soil, and blue and blue shades correspond to neutral soil. Determination of soil acidity by the method of litmus test is quite reliable. The set can be bought in stores for summer residents.

Vinegar
Soil acidity can be determined using vinegar. Pour a little of the investigated soil onto the glass. Pour 9% vinegar over the ground. If strong foaming begins, then the soil is alkaline. With moderate soil acidity, the hiss will be weak. And if the soil is acidic, then there will be no foam at all.

Beet
If beets grow on the site, the acidity of the soil can be determined by the appearance of its tops. When the tops are red, the soil is acidic. If the tops are green with red veins, it is moderately acidic. Green leaves are found in beets grown on neutral soil. Beet does not grow on alkaline soil.

How to reduce soil acidity

Acidic soil is not favorable for the cultivation of many crops. Therefore, it is necessary to artificially reduce acidity in order to improve soil fertility. You can neutralize acidic soil using slaked lime, dolomite flour, limestone, ground chalk, limestone tuff, cement dust.

The selected substance is best applied to the soil in spring. Sprinkle lime with the calculation of one glass per square meter of soil. Then dig through the ground well and level it with a rake. However, be careful. Be convinced of acidity of the soil and only then take measures. Because if the soil is alkaline, lime will damage it, plants in such soil do not grow well.

What grows on soil with different acidity

When choosing the plants and trees that you want to grow on the site, it is very important to consider the acidity of the soil.

1. Sorrel grows very well on soils with high acidity.
2. The soil with low acidity is well suited for planting pumpkins, cucumbers, spinach, rhubarb, radish, radish, tomato, zucchini and lettuce.
3. Neutral soils are favorable for many crops - beets, celery, asparagus, carrots, onions, cabbage.
4. In weakly alkaline areas you can grow rye, potatoes, oats.

Agronomy is a serious science that allows you to effectively use the land to grow various crops. And soil science, and, in particular, the determination of soil acidity, is the key to successful planning of planting crops in certain areas. Determine acidity correctly and grow a rich harvest!

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