Hi,
Firstly, How do you know the soil is acidic? Have you tested the soil?
What is the PH value of the soil?
If you have not tested for PH, please get the soil tested. If the soil is acidic, then lime is usually added to the soil. Lime is also called as "ground agricultural lime". How much to be added can be decided only based on the acidity of the soil. In coastal karnataka you will see that people use crushed sea shell instead of lime.
Hope this helps
Iranna,
Soil pH
The pH value is a measure of the acidity of a soil and is based on a set of numbers ranging from 1 to 10 that are universally recognised scale. The number 7 has been given to a soil that is neutral, that is it is neither acid or alkaline. Numbers above 7 indicate an alkaline soil and numbers below 7 indicate an acid soil. Geology depot of your District offer a free testing service. The following values are generally accepted as the degree of acidity.
Strongly Acid Soil. pH 5.0 - 5.5 Plants for acid soil in this range include Parsley, Potato, Tomato, Sweet Potato, Maize, Millet, Oars, Tye, Radish, Azalea, Ferns, Iris, Orchids, Rhododendron, Camellia, Daphne and Boronia.
Moderately Acid Soil. pH 5.5 - 6.0 Plants for a moderately acid soil include Bean, Cabbage, Carrot, Endive, Kohl Rabi, Peanuts, Rhubarb, Soyabean, Crimson Clover, Aster, Begonia, Canna, Daffodil, Violet and most bulbs.
Slightly Acid Soil. pH 6.0 - 6.5 Plants that prefer this soil include Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Cucumber, Egg Plant, Pea, Sweet Corn, Pumpkin, Squash, Turnip, Red Clover, Sweet Clover, White Clover, Candytuft, Gladiolus, Iceland Poppy, Pansy, Rose, Snapdragon, Viola, Wallflower, Zinnea and Strawberry.
Very Mildly Acid. Soil pH 6.5 - 7.0 Plants that favor very mildly acid soil are Asparagus, Beet, Celery, Lettuce, Melons, Onion, Parsnip, Spinach, Lucerne, Carnation, Chrysanthemum, Dahlia, Stock, Sweet Pea and Tulip.
Acid Soil Treatment
Lime has the ability to assist in breaking down heavy clay soils and it will also reduce the acidity level of a soil. The breaking down of clay soils occurs becaus the presence of lime in a wet clay soil causes the fine clay particles to flocculate, that is they tend gather together in small clumps, and this produces the crumbly texture that is desired.
However, lime will also help to release some chemicals from the soil for the plants to use but it will also tend to lock up others, and this should be taken into account when adding lime to reduce acidity. Potash, magnesium, molybdenum and perhaps nitrogen are more readily soluble in a slightly alkaline soil, while slightly acid soils assist solubility of iron, copper, zinc and manganese which may become insoluble and unavailable in an alkaline or over-limed soil.
As we have seen, the lower the pH reading the more acid the soil, and most plants prefor a neutral to a slightly acid soil, that is, a pH from 6.0 to 7.0. The addition of lime will raise the pH, and materials such as sulphate of ammonia, and sulphate of iron will lower the pH.
For good results the lime should not be left on the surface, but raked in and then lightly forked to a depth of five or six inches.
Also pls take proper advice from experts/Agriculture Officer.
Regards,
SWAMY.
Soil pH
The pH value is a measure of the acidity of a soil and is based on a set of numbers ranging from 1 to 10 that are universally recognised scale. The number 7 has been given to a soil that is neutral, that is it is neither acid or alkaline. Numbers above 7 indicate an alkaline soil and numbers below 7 indicate an acid soil. Geology depot of your District offer a free testing service. The following values are generally accepted as the degree of acidity.
Strongly Acid Soil. pH 5.0 - 5.5 Plants for acid soil in this range include Parsley, Potato, Tomato, Sweet Potato, Maize, Millet, Oars, Tye, Radish, Azalea, Ferns, Iris, Orchids, Rhododendron, Camellia, Daphne and Boronia.
Moderately Acid Soil. pH 5.5 - 6.0 Plants for a moderately acid soil include Bean, Cabbage, Carrot, Endive, Kohl Rabi, Peanuts, Rhubarb, Soyabean, Crimson Clover, Aster, Begonia, Canna, Daffodil, Violet and most bulbs.
Slightly Acid Soil. pH 6.0 - 6.5 Plants that prefer this soil include Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Cucumber, Egg Plant, Pea, Sweet Corn, Pumpkin, Squash, Turnip, Red Clover, Sweet Clover, White Clover, Candytuft, Gladiolus, Iceland Poppy, Pansy, Rose, Snapdragon, Viola, Wallflower, Zinnea and Strawberry.
Very Mildly Acid. Soil pH 6.5 - 7.0 Plants that favor very mildly acid soil are Asparagus, Beet, Celery, Lettuce, Melons, Onion, Parsnip, Spinach, Lucerne, Carnation, Chrysanthemum, Dahlia, Stock, Sweet Pea and Tulip.
Acid Soil Treatment
Lime has the ability to assist in breaking down heavy clay soils and it will also reduce the acidity level of a soil. The breaking down of clay soils occurs becaus the presence of lime in a wet clay soil causes the fine clay particles to flocculate, that is they tend gather together in small clumps, and this produces the crumbly texture that is desired.
However, lime will also help to release some chemicals from the soil for the plants to use but it will also tend to lock up others, and this should be taken into account when adding lime to reduce acidity. Potash, magnesium, molybdenum and perhaps nitrogen are more readily soluble in a slightly alkaline soil, while slightly acid soils assist solubility of iron, copper, zinc and manganese which may become insoluble and unavailable in an alkaline or over-limed soil.
As we have seen, the lower the pH reading the more acid the soil, and most plants prefor a neutral to a slightly acid soil, that is, a pH from 6.0 to 7.0. The addition of lime will raise the pH, and materials such as sulphate of ammonia, and sulphate of iron will lower the pH.
For good results the lime should not be left on the surface, but raked in and then lightly forked to a depth of five or six inches.
Also pls take proper advice from experts/Agriculture Officer.
Regards,
SWAMY.
garao56
Well-Known Member
Our friend Mr Swamy has correctly explained about the problem soil such as acidic soils. For acidic soil reclamation we can use lime or basic slag available in steel factories. Or we can use press mud (sugar factory waste) can be used. We can rely on soil testing reports. If soil testing reports are not available please apply 2 to 3 quintal of lime can be applied in furrows. The dosage of press mu is 1.2 tons to 1.6 tons. In the first 2-3 years legume crops or vegetable crops can be raised . Up to five years the influence of calcium will be there and later we can change to other crops where calcium is not much required for them,
G.Ananda Rao B.Sc(Ag), Ex.Agricultural officer, Department of Agriculture (AP)
& Consultant,
G.Ananda Rao B.Sc(Ag), Ex.Agricultural officer, Department of Agriculture (AP)
& Consultant,
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