Identifying the Best Plant Soil

Video Transcript

"In this clip we're going to talk about the PH levels of soil or, basically, whether your soil is acid or alkaline. The graph that measures alkalinity or acidity, goes from number one to number fourteen. Number one being the most acidic, number fourteen being the most alkaline or basic. Most plants that we deal with ornamentally and in our gardens for fruit and vegetables prefer a slightly acidic soil. Organic fertilizers tend to be slightly acid. The goal is to really create a slightly acidic soil, where plants, such as this apple tree, have the ability to suck in the elements when they send out the acid on their roots. If the alkalinity is too high, you can get things like chlorosis in the leaves, which is the inability of the plant to bring in iron. Acid versus alkaline is very important. If you are not sure, those kits are available in garden centers all over the place and you can also get that information from your local department of agriculture office."