How To Raise pH In Soil: 6+ Ways To Raise pH Levels 

Do you know a soil’s pH is used to determine which nutrients and chemicals can survive? So it’s important to maintain a stable pH in order to grow healthy crops or plants.

Don’t worry, I will help you to understand how to increase the acidity or lower the pH of soil by adding several common materials so you can easily adjust its composition. Here I have shown ways to evaluate the soil to determine what changes you need to make in the soil with some ways to Raise pH in the soil.

6+ Ways To Raise pH Levels:

The following are some methods by which you can raise the pH level in the soil:

• Lime (calcium carbonate)
• Dolomite Lime (calcium carbonate + magnesium carbonate)
• Wood Ash
• Bone Meal
• Crushed Shells
• Hydrated Lime (calcium hydroxide)

Explanation:

Compost:

You can use compost which is an amazing soil additive neutral and can be used to dilute soil acidity which helps to balance the level. It is considered one of the best ways to balance the pH issue in soil. Using compost and aged manure to add in Garden beds will slowly adjust the pH level of the soil. It is quite healthy for your plants and for your garden. However, performing this technique may take a long time when it is compared to the other treatment to raise the pH in the soil. Using compost is an all-natural process and it will help to improve the overall health of the garden and the plants. 

It will also help to announce the soil structure. After adding the compost to the soil it starts losing up to the compact lay soil and lets the sandy soil whole the water and nutrients.

Lime:

Using lime to raise the pH level of the soil is a true soil amendment that does not take time to work. It is produced from the ground lines on chalk. It is a very popular soil adjective that is used by Gardner to sweeten the soil. The lime can be easily applied and is very effective for raising the soil pH so you can apply the lime as soon as you can which will take at least a year or more to raise the pH level of the soil.

In case if you are growing an organic garden then you can use either Calcitic or dolomite lime. As they contain a large amount of magnesium. If you found that the garden is already rich in Magnesium then you can choose the Calcitic lime instead of dolomite lime. 

You can also get a quicklime from the store but it is not approved for Organic Garden as they are more reactive and can burn the root of the plant during application. The usage of the line depends upon the garden so you should follow the manufacturer’s instructions when you are applying the lime in the soil. For example, in the case of a 100-square-foot Garden, you will need around 20 to 50 pounds of lime but in the case of a higher acidity level, you may need more lime. 

The quantity of lime depends upon three factors such as:

• The current pH level which you can determine by doing a solid test.
• The desired pH level which showed how much plants need to grow well. 
• The type of soil is just lomi, Sandy, or clay. 

Wood Ash:

Using wood ash is an effective way to raise pH in soil. This technique has been used for generations and it helps to boost the soil pH by adding nutrients. This method is made to recycle ashes so that there is no waste. In case if you are using a wood stove or fireplace then you can easily use the wood ashes frequently. 

Using wood ash not only raises the soil pH but also helps in improving the soil fertility as it contains calcium, potassium, and phosphorus. With this, it contains trace amounts of iron, zinc, boron, and other nutrients that plants need.

You must avoid using ash that is produced by painted lumber, or pellet stoves as here this ash contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. 

You can apply the wood ashes by using the dry ash and spread it about 20 pounds all over the garden beds in this way you see about ¼ deep layer of ash in a 1000-square-foot garden. In case the garden is very acidic you need more amount of ashes. 

Baking Soda:

You can use a standard baking soda to raise pH in soil in smaller Garden beds. It is also known as sodium Bicarbonate which you can find very easily and is not so costly. It does work more quickly than the Lime Solution does.

You need to use the beginning soda frequently as it does not last As Long in the soil. You need to just mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda into a gallon of water and then generally spray the water into a garden.

Crushed oyster shells:

You can also raise the soil pH level by using crushed oyster shell clamshells and egg shells as they contain calcium carbonate which is very useful for the soil for raising the soil base level. An easy way of applying the shell is to collect them in large amounts and Crush them to the soil. You can also get the mixture from the store in bulk. 

Hence you can easily find this material and it’s very effective due to the presence of high levels of calcium which will easily mix the soil by balancing the calcium and magnesium ratio. Before applying to the soil make sure to test the soil so that you can get to know if using the oyster shell is good for your garden or not. 

 Dolomite or dolomite lime:

Basically, dolomite is a type of limestone compound that contains calcium and magnesium as it is not a pure lining agent like calcium carbonate it is not so effective for your garden. Some plants need extra calcium so that they can prevent blossom end rot which you can see when the soil is too acidic. 

Using the dolomite helps to bring pH to a conductive level and also adds calcium to the soil. In case if this soil does have a nice level of magnesium then it will easily cause a high level of the soil. To prevent this situation you need to test this all before adding any natural things into the soil

Agriculture Lime:

The agriculture line is used to meet from Chalk and it is an active component of calcium carbonate. Other chemicals found in this line Might depend upon the mineral source that are calcium oxide, magnesium oxide, and magnesium carbonate. 

Conclusion:

I am sure that after reading this article you will be sure what to add and make your soil more alkaline or raise pH in soil level. Before starting any step you need to first test the soil so that you can know what is a good amount of adding the component to the soil.

FAQ’s