More Gardeners Discovering the Power of pH through Greener Gardens

(EstateNewsWire.com, January 04, 2013 ) Orlando, Florida - Everybody has all heard it mentioned in skin care product ads, yet still far too many people have a vague understanding at best of what the pH scale is and how it effects the world around them.

That all is changing though as more of today's gardeners are discovering that one of the keys to a 'green thumb' is understanding and learning how to manipulate soil pH.

In simple terms, a pH number indicates how acidic or basic soil is. The pH number scale runs between 1 and 14, with pH 7, which is the pH number of plain water being in the middle or 'neutral'. The lower the pH number is, the more acidic the soil is with most plants preferring to grow in soil that is at or near pH 7.

As it turns out, most gardeners already have a basic understanding of soil chemistry, which they acquired through the use of common fertilizers. For instance, most already know that the three common nutrients that plants need to thrive on are nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus.

What many gardeners are surprised to discover though is that all three of these common nutrients come in the form of acids, and this is why overuse of common water soluble fertilizers leads to acid root burn caused by the lower pH number they can bring on.

Also, the more acidic soil is, the lower the available soluble nutrients as well, regardless of how much fertilizer is added.

Just as only so much sugar can be dissolved in a cup of water, the acidity of soil determines how much actual soil nutrient will be allowed to be 'freed up' for plants to use after they have been added to the soil.

Common lawn lime and crushed oyster shell, both cheap and readily available, are today's gardeners preferred choice for neutralizing or sweetening acid soil by raising the pH level.

In the same way that adding baking soda to vinegar causes a 'neutralizing' chemical reaction, so too do these two products react with soil acids to neutralize them as well.

All plants have a preferred pH level that they require in order to achieve optimal growth and flowering. Ferns, for instance, prefer a slightly acid soil, as do tomatoes.

On the other hand, a broad range of species of plants do best in neutral pH soil with a number up around pH 7.

So it turns out that the secret to a gardener's green thumb isn't such a mystery after all. This is because achieving lush healthy growth in landscaping dripping with bright colored flowers around your home or business may be as simple as checking and adjusting your soil pH level.

Abouth Greener Gardens:

Serving the Orlando area and surrounding communities, Greener-Gardens.com has developed some of Orlando’s most distinctive landscapes for residential, commercial and educational facilities.

service@greener-gardens.com

Greener Gardens

5275 Rambling Rd

St. Cloud, FL 34771

http://greener-gardens.com

Office: (407) 892-9795

Fax: (407) 892-3332

Greener Gardens

Greener Gardens

(407) 892-9795

service@greener-gardens.com

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