what is the importance of PH in soil
Answers
Answer:
Why is it important to know the pH of your garden soil?
A pH of 7 indicates a neutral soil. The pH is important because it influences the availability of essential nutrients. Most horticultural crops will grow satisfactorily in soils having a pH between 6 (slightly acid) and 7.5 (slightly alkaline). ... There are a few plants that require a soil pH of 4.5 to 5.5.
Explanation:
The pH level of the soil is vital to growing lush, green lawns. Many people have a basic understanding of a pH scale, knowing that it measures how acidic or alkaline something may be. If you own a pool, then you know that correcting and balancing the pH of the swimming water is important. On a scale of 1 to 14, a pH of 1 is very acidic and a pH of 14 is very alkaline (or basic), while a pH reading of 7 is neutral. Lawns grow best in a soil that is slightly acidic to neutral (between 6.2 and a 7.0 on the pH scale).
Seemingly small changes in pH readings can mean big changes for turfgrass plants. That is because the pH scale is logarithmic. This means that a pH reading of 5 is ten times more acidic than a pH reading of 6, one hundred times more acidic than a pH reading of 7, and so on.
Mag-I-Cal Plus for Acidic Soils contains fast-acting calcium carbonate in a highly soluble form that immediately adjusts soil pH upwards. The carbonate in Mag-I-Cal Plus for Acidic Soils increases soil pH by removing hydrogen ions (H+ ions cause acidity) from exchange sites in the soil. This process creates water and carbon dioxide. The H2O goes into the soil and the CO2 releases into the atmosphere. Without the H+ ions, the soil becomes neutralized. The calcium, on the other hand, is used by grass plants for many key functions, some of which are:
Cell division and elongation
Cell wall development
Nitrate uptake and metabolism
Enzyme activity
Starch metabolism
(For very acidic soils, you may use Mag-I-Cal for Lawns in Acidic Soil. It does NOT loosen soil, like Mag-I-Cal Plus. However, it has about 25% more de-acidifying power than Mag-I-Cal Plus.)
Mag-I-Cal for Alkaline Soils contains fast-acting sulfur which quickly adjusts soil pH downward. The Sulfur in Mag-I-Cal Plus for Alkaline Soils reacts with sulfur-fixing microbes, water, and oxygen. This bio-chemical reaction creates hydrogen ions (H+). H+ ions add acidity to the soil and lower the pH, while sulfate is used by the grass to create necessary proteins and hormones. (For more information on all of these reactions, watch our New American Lawn Training Academy.)
As an added benefit, BOTH Mag-I-Cal Plus products contain a concentrated form of gypsum that loosens hard soil for better air and water flow. They also contain natural humates to feed and activate the soil microbial life.