• SHOP  

  Spruce Tops

  Outdoor Living

  Supplies

  Gift Cards

• INFORMATION  

  On Sale This Week

  Plant, Tree & Shrub Library

  Garden Care

  Home & Garden Guide

  Landscaping

  Going Green

  Zone Map

  Garden-To-Do's

  Timetable

  Bachman's eClub

  Weber Grills

Plants for Acid and Alkaline Soils

Unless you are one of the fortunate few who was blessed with (or you have struggled to achieve!) the perfect slightly acid to neutral soil pH (6.5-7.0), you are having to learn to live with either acid or alkaline soil. Learning to live with it can mean either taking measures to adjust the pH or selecting a plant that is suited to your soil pH. Soil can be tested at the University of Minnesota or many other independent soil testing laboratories. There is also a home test kit for pH. Be sure to use distilled water with the home test so tap water won't skew your results. And keep in mind that soil pH can change from year to year. Much of the water provided by both city water systems and wells in our area is alkaline. That can affect soil pH. As some plant materials such as peat moss or pine needles break down, they naturally acidify the soil too. This means your soil pH can vary from season to season and it may vary from site to site in your yard.

The vast majority of plants we like to grow in our gardens or landscapes grow their best when the soil pH ranges between 6.5 and 7.0. The pH of soil is measured on a scale of 0 to 14. A pH of 7.0 is considered neutral. A pH lower than 6.5 is called acid (or sour) and a pH over 7.5 is referred to as alkaline (or sweet). If a plant grows best in a slightly acid soil, and your soil is slightly acid, there isn't any problem. But if your soil is alkaline that plant will not be able to access what it needs nutritionally.

If you are interested in adjusting the pH of your soil, pick up a copy of Bachman's Information Sheet Soil pH for more information or talk with one of our experts. If you are going to work with the existing pH level of the site, try to chose a plant suited to that pH. If you are curious about a plant you don't see on these lists, ask and we will be glad to try to find out its particular requirements for you.