Soil PH

[Essexboy]

A colour soil test on my allotment shows my soil to be on the acidic side of neutral, do I need to do anything ? (I only grow veg) any advice would be appreciated.

[Jimny14]

Depends what veg you're growing as to whether they'd benefit from adding some lime to the soil. Lime will make the soil more alkaline.

This might be useful

Soil pH Levels for Vegetables, Gardener's Network

[nickdub]

Best indicator on this is how plants are doing in the soil already. Ask a neighboring plot holder, and have a good look at how stuff like cabbages are doing.

If in doubt, best to be cautious as too much lime will do more harm than good.

[Jimny14]

Just for a bit more info, I've got an acidic clay soil and grow a variety of veg in our patch, mainly potatoes, beans, squash (summer and winter) and all seem perfectly happy with our soil, think it's about pH 6 to 5.5 around the garden, I've never had the need to add lime.

[Essexboy]

Thanks guys

[Jay-ell]

Most plants like it a bit on the acidic side - it helps with the uptake of the minerals.

P. S. One of the reasons I've been told people add lime is that it helps prevent things like club root which like acid conditions