Growing and Caring for Acid Loving Vegetables
Different plants have different conditions under which they thrive. Most plants prefer soil with slightly acidic pH. Some plants, however, do best with significantly acidic soil. The pH scale goes from 1.0 to 14.0, with 7.0 considered entirely neutral. Anything below 7.0 is considered acidic, while anything above 7.0 is considered alkaline. The pH levels of your soil directly affect the ability of plants to absorb nutrients, thus matching up a plant with its ideal pH level will maximize its ability to absorb the nutrients it needs. In general, the soil in the Pacific Northwest, and areas of the eastern United States have fairly acidic soil because areas that tend to have more wet climates have more surface elements leaching into the soil. If you live in an area with high soil acidity and you are looking to grow vegetables in your garden, below are some tips on vegetables that do well with low pH levels.
A few fruits and vegetables that do well in acidic soil are, blueberries, raspberries, grapes, strawberries, radishes, and sweet potatoes. If you would like to grow some of these fruits and vegetables in your garden, but they do not seem to be doing well, it could be because your soil is not acidic enough. You can determine the pH of your soil with a simple pH test purchased at your local garden supply store, or by sending a soil sample to a lab. If you find that your soil is neutral or alkaline, you can increase the acidity of your soil by supplementing it with acidic additives. Adding pine needles and leaves to your compost can create a more acidic soil. Alternatively, you can use aluminum sulfate to increase your soil’s acidity. Avoid adding alkaline additives like ash, as this will decrease the acidity of your soil.
