The acidity of the soil affects plant growth, but not every summer resident has a special measurement device. It turns out that PH can be determined by improvised means if you know a few tricks.
Here are some of them:
The first way is Using vinegar and soda. A handful of land is divided into two parts. One is watered with vinegar – if hissing appears, the soil is alkaline. The second part is mixed with soda and water – the reaction with bubbles will indicate an acidic environment. The absence of a reaction in both cases indicates a neutral pH.
The second method – Observation of wild plants. On sour soils, horsetail, plantain and buttercup grow well. Clover, coltsfoot and nettle prefer neutral soil. If these plants prevail on the site, we can draw conclusions about the condition of the soil.
The third option is Using blackcurrant leaves. They are poured with boiling water and cool. A lump of earth is added to this infusion: the red shade of liquid will indicate a sour reaction, bluish to slightly acidic, and greenish – to neutral.
Knowing the approximate pH of the soil, it is easier to choose plants for planting. The fraction of such methods is inferior to laboratory analyzes, but for garden purposes they are quite enough.
Earlier it was reported how to save the garden from frosts.
