Soil pH affects plants in a variety of ways, but it isn’t always easy to identify why pH may be too low or too high. Signs of low and high pH often are similar and the plants aren’t growing as they should. A soil test will show its pH level so you know what’s missing, but why does pH even affect plant growth?
What is pH?
pH is simply the measure of how acidic something is. All living things and their basic functions depend on having a balanced pH. The pH scale runs from 0 to 14; the lower the number, the more acidic it is. At a pH of 7.0, it is considered a neutral state and is neither acidic nor basic. A pH of 7.0 is ideal for plant growth.
What to do if pH is too low
Soil pH will naturally decrease over time if you don’t have the proper tools and resources to take care of it. For instance, weeds will naturally grow in low pH soil. So, if you are seeing a lot of weeds, you need to increase pH.
Fortunately, there are a lot of tools and resources you can use that will help you raise soil pH. For example, AgriTec’s liquid calcium is designed to raise pH and goes to work instantly. Where ag lime takes 9-12 months to breakdown, liquid calcium only takes about 90 days.
If you are unsure where to even begin in the process of raising your soil pH, it can be helpful to contact someone to create a specialized crop nutrition plan for you. Fortunately, AgriTec International also offers this service. If you are interested in getting in touch with a soil expert, you can call us at (833) 247-4832.
How does pH affect plants?
If your soil pH is too high or too low, your plants will lose the ability to absorb nutrients. Those nutrients are being blocked from the plant. So even though your fertilizer may contain a plethora of nutrients, the plant isn’t able to receive it. When the soil pH is at a balanced state of 7.0, the nutrients are more readily available for the plant. Raising pH is the first and most important step to creating a high yielding, sustainable crop.
For more information on our liquid calcium fertilizers and soil experts, call (833) 247-4832.
