Liming soil before spuds..

[Capsid]

The soil in my current garden is extremely alkaline - between 6.5 and 7.0 I think

That pH range is acidic, a PH of over 7 is alkaline, so that explains why you didn't get scabby spuds.

[Bigmallly]

That pH range is acidic, a PH of over 7 is alkaline, so that explains why you didn't get scabby spuds.

You beat me to it Capsid. I was also going to say that pH 6.5 to 7 is bordering neutral 8 and above would be alkaline.

[oldie]

From my Chemistry textbook:- An acidic solution has a pH number less than 7, the lower the number the stronger the acid. An alkaline solution has a pH number greater than 7, so 7 could be considered the neutral point.

[zazen999]

From my Cert in Gard [exam last week] most crops prefer 6.5 so snohare - your soil is ideal!!!

Mine is 7-7.5 so I need to move it towards acid rather than the other way round.

[snohare]

Shame on me ! I hope New Scientist never finds out its keenest reader made such a basic mistake... < rushes back to chemistry primers >

[Nicos]

Shame on me ! I hope New Scientist never finds out its keenest reader made such a basic mistake... < rushes back to chemistry primers >

Ah ha!!!.the newest recruit to the 'foot in mouth' club...welcome!

[snohare]

I don't know what worries me more Nicos, the fact that my mouth is big enough to take my size 45s or the way my body tends to climb in after them...

[Nicos]

the way my body tends to climb in after them...

now that's just showing off!!!!

[Snadger]

I had a reply typed out but deleted it as I didn't want it to be seen as a clever shite!
No ones disputing that alkaline conditions cause scab on tatties, what I was wondering is if the tatties and I don't mind a bit of scab what difference does acid/alkali soil make to the tuber yeild?

[northepaul]

Who told you that then ?

A so called expert at the local allotments!

[Bigmallly]

A so called expert at the local allotments!

Tell him you've limed your tattie patch & see what he says............

[snohare]

Just checked again, and my soil is between 7.5 and 8 - so very alkaline. I got the scale back to front...doesn't take much to confuse me

[zazen999]

Just checked again, and my soil is between 7.5 and 8 - so very alkaline. I got the scale back to front...doesn't take much to confuse me

7.5 - 8 isn't very alkaline; it's just alkaline.

[snohare]

Ta Zazen ! (Hope the new job's going well.)
<Rushes back to Chemistry textbooks>

[Snadger]

4-6 very acid 6-6.5 slightly acid 6.5-7.5 neutral 7.5-8 slightly alkaline 8-10 very alkaline
The pH scale is logarithmic, so an increase of 1 point is an actual 10 fold increase in the alkalinity.