pH is short for \u201cpotentia hydrogenii<\/em>\u201d \u2013 the power of hydrogen. It is a measure of the number of hydrogen ions present in a substance. For a farmer, pH is a measure of how alkaline (sweet) or acidic (sour) something is. In this case, you should use it to test our soil. However, the pH of the water you use or the pH of rain water can also affect the quality of your soil.<\/p>\n The pH measurement is a logarithmic scale that goes from 1 to 14 with a measurement less than 7 being acidic, 7 neutral, and a measurement higher than 7 alkaline. Because it is a logarithmic scale, each value increases by a factor of 10. For example, 9 is 10 times more alkaline than 8 and 4 is 10 times more acidic than 5.\u200b Pure water usually measures a neutral 7 and cow\u2019s milk slightly acidic at 6.5. Both tomatoes and Mosi measure 4.5. Stomach acid is 2.0 and lemons are very acidic at 2.5. Sodium bicarbonate measures 8.4, lime comes in at 12 and ammonia is about 11.1.<\/p>\n As you can see, acidity or alkalinity all depend on what the substance is interacting with. In fact, most plants adapt to any soil pH in the range of 6.0 to 7.5, while some plants prefer distinct soil types.<\/p>\n Weed plantain and dandelions increase rapidly in number in acidic soil. Queen Anne\u2019s Lace, Chickweed and chicory prefer alkaline soil. It\u2019s important to first know what you will be growing, before changing the pH of your soil. Here\u2019s a simple test you can do on your own.<\/p>\n Alkalinity Test<\/strong><\/p>\n If the soil foams, fizzes or bubbles, then your soil is alkaline. If it doesn\u2019t, test it for acidity.<\/p>\n Acidity Test<\/strong><\/p>\n If the soil foams, fizzes or bubbles, then your soil is acidic. If neither of the tests produce much of an effect, your soil probably has a neutral pH.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/seedfarm.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/soil-test-1.jpg?resize=640%2C360&ssl=1\")
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