Soil pH advice!

[lynda66]

Hmm...gotta go as the OH's is just firing the DVD up -

I'll have a think about other causes...meanwhile

What type of soil is it mainly?
Have you got any cracks around the front of the house?
Is the ground wetter there than at the back [on the whole]?

I'll be back in a bit...

clay with bits of coal rock and bricks, the houses were built on an old brickworks apparently ...... 6-12 inches topsoil some places deeper than others,

soil is much the same front and back, soggy and sticks to boots, sets fairly solid in hot weather unless watered ......... the back garden has had quite a bit of compost over 4 years since i been here and it was better last year, cos i dug up the lawn,and put a layer of small stones under the soil, so it drains better now the back is also more sloped, i live on a hill, approx 9'000 feet above sea level, both gardens slope away from the house (not steep) nope no cracks, there has been only minimal subsidence of the houses in our little bit in nearly 50 years since they were built, consisting of a few small plaster cracks at the back no brick damage (neighbour is an authority on that subject too lol )

last year was the first year i've done anything to the front, flowers didn't do too well either, but it's had no compost or anything ....... it's surrounded by a privet hedge which looks incredibly healthy and my box bush grows ok too, other things grew, but most things didn't really look spectacular

[lynda66]

Ha! 'Normal people' on the vine...............where????????

*waves* .... i'm here

[Snadger]

*waves* .... i'm here

Sorry Lynda........I forgot about you! Come to think of it...................if you are normal??????????............errrrrm!

[selfraising]

My pH might be normal but I'm not sure I am

[lynda66]

Sorry Lynda........I forgot about you! Come to think of it...................if you are normal??????????............errrrrm!

I am the most normal people i know ......... be afraid ....... be very afraid

[Snadger]

I am the most normal people i know ......... be afraid ....... be very afraid

[selfraising]

Uh oh, it's like looking in the mirror

[zazen999]

You guys!!!!

Well, without being there - coal dust would lower the pH, bricks would have little effect, dolomite or limestone would definitely raise it - as would a foul water leakage...but if there is little evidence of bubbles at a deeper depth you are probably ok - just got to put something on it to lower the pH before you can grow on it successfully....without looking back - was it here that you had problems with the lawn?

[Snadger]

So we're back to the 10,000 lemons scenario!

[zazen999]

Or some of your coal dust....

[lynda66]

yeah, the lawn in the back was fine (till i decided to build a chook house on it)

the front lawn was always sickly with bare patches, but as i had the infestation of leatherjackets i just assumed it was that

anyway, i just had a brainwave ....... so i have been and stolen a bit of soil from 3 nearby neighbours, and theres are all 7-8 including the ones either side, so it has to be something to do with the previous paving or something

so i'm guessing that to resolve the problem permanently, i'm gonna have to dig it all out and replace all the soil cos even if i can temporarily neutralise it, if it is the stuff under the soil, it's gonna keep recurring, and i'm never gonna be able to grow anything worthwhile in it ..... guess it's a good job i checked innit lol

[Snadger]

Or some of your coal dust....

Hey..tiger!!!

[selfraising]

Good bit of detective work, I like it!!!

[Snadger]

yeah, the lawn in the back was fine (till i decided to build a chook house on it)

the front lawn was always sickly with bare patches, but as i had the infestation of leatherjackets i just assumed it was that

anyway, i just had a brainwave ....... so i have been and stolen a bit of soil from 3 nearby neighbours, and theres are all 7-8 including the ones either side, so it has to be something to do with the previous paving or something

so i'm guessing that to resolve the problem permanently, i'm gonna have to dig it all out and replace all the soil cos even if i can temporarily neutralise it, if it is the stuff under the soil, it's gonna keep recurring, and i'm never gonna be able to grow anything worthwhile in it ..... guess it's a good job i checked innit lol

7 to 8 Ph you could live with and work on it over a period of time.Brassicas should love it and legumes also. Organic matter will help, raised beds would help(with some imported topsoil?) Acidifying fertiliser (of which you might soon have quite a bit of i.e. chooks poo!) will help. Grow blueberries and tatties in pots (although as my other thread mentions Magnesium limestone is not supposed to cause scab on tatties for some reason)

If it's Ph 10 though it will probably just be easier to move house!

[lynda66]

yeah think i'll put in for a transfer lol ..... or just get on to the lottie bloke and find out what the flip is happening with the 100 lotties ........ theres just not enough room in the back garden for chooks, veggies a polytunnel ..... and the amount of fruit bushes i have bought lol ....... unless the lawn goes

thanks zazen you've been a big help .... now you just need to invent something miraculous to turn it acid by the time the millions of seedlings i have growing need to be in the ground lol