Soil pH
/soyl pee-AYCH/🪨 Soil Types● Basic
Also known as: pH, soil acidity, soil alkalinity
Soil pH measures the concentration of hydrogen ions in the soil solution. A pH of 7 is neutral; below 7 is acidic and above 7 is alkaline. Most plants prefer slightly acidic soil (pH 6.0-7.0) because this range maximizes the availability of essential nutrients. Extreme pH values lock out specific nutrients: iron becomes unavailable above pH 7.5 (causing chlorosis), while aluminum becomes toxic below pH 5.0.
Etymology
pH from German Potenz (power) + H (hydrogen); soil from Latin solum (ground)
Example
“Testing revealed a soil pH of 7.8, explaining why the blueberries (which need pH 4.5-5.5) were struggling so badly.”