[Woodhousemoor]

After reading somewhere that you should test your soil to determine whether it's acid or Alkaline, I bought a kit and tested my soil today based on the color chart it suggest my soil is Alkaline. My query is What does this mean for the plants i grow? and what do I need to do to make it better ? I assume it should be neutral!!! 

[Salmo]

Most vegetables thrive in soil that is slightly alkaline so do nothing.

[Kleftiwallah]

Different plants prefer a different make up in the soil.  

I presume your test paper came out quite dark green? pH 7.5 ?

Just because you get an alkaline reading from one area of your garden you cannot extrapolate ! that to all your garden.  The reading may be quite different just a couple of feet away in another area.

You don't tell us what plants you are thinking about growing, so I'll take the easy way out and say veggies.  Looking at my pH preference for veg they all seem to prefer the alcalinic end of the range.  Asparagas and watercress go up to 8, garlic is 5.5 - 7.5 but the majority like 5.0 or 6.0 to 7.5  so go ahead, they wont climb out and complain.    
Cheers,    Tony.

[DD.]

I'm doing something wrong as I've never tested my soil. If it grows it grows, if it doesn't it may get another chance!

[Woodhousemoor]

Most vegetables thrive in soil that is slightly alkaline so do nothing.

Thank you for your response.

Different plants prefer a different make up in the soil. 

I presume your test paper came out quite dark green? pH 7.5 ?

Just because you get an alkaline reading from one area of your garden you cannot extrapolate ! that to all your garden.  The reading may be quite different just a couple of feet away in another area.

You don't tell us what plants you are thinking about growing, so I'll take the easy way out and say veggies.  Looking at my pH preference for veg they all seem to prefer the alcalinic end of the range.  Asparagas and watercress go up to 8, garlic is 5.5 - 7.5 but the majority like 5.0 or 6.0 to 7.5  so go ahead, they wont climb out and complain.   
Cheers,    Tony.

Yes the test was a dark green color. And I am growing veg thank you for responding I feel much more at ease now.

[Totty]

We moved to our new place around a year now and the tesy i initially did said it was alkaline, As dark green as it could be. I think the only thing you need to do it add manure and/or compost and over time it will end up bang on. When tested again yesterday its reading 6.5-7 which is just about bang on. I have added alot of manure and compost though. Dont use any lime.

Totty

[Woodhousemoor]

Thank you !!!