How important is my soil pH?

The pH of your soil is crucial to successfully growing many plant species. 

As it is impractical to change your soil’s pH significantly it is best to use your soil pH as a base value against which to select your plants. 

· If your soil is alkaline:
acid loving plants strongly resent the increase in alkalinity so choose plants very carefully. 

· If your soil is acidic:
plants from alkaline soils generally better adapt to these soils so you have a much greater range of plants to choose from.

 

How do I test my soil pH?

Reputable hardware stores or nursery retailers usually have simple test kits available.  Some will test your soil for you.

Compare your place in the landscape with that of other localities.

Consider where your selected plants should come from particularly the soils pH and local rainfall?

Explore your options in this Booklet.