pH is a measure of acidity, specifically, the acidity of your garden soil. pH is measured on a scale of 0 to 14 with 7.0 considered Neutral. Soils with a pH of less than 7 (closer to zero) are considered sour or acidic. Soils with a pH greater than 7 (closer to 14) are considered sweet or alkaline.
Specific plants have specific requirements for growth and soil pH is one of them. Some plants prefer acidic soils, like Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Pieris, Blueberries, Heathers etc, while others prefer an alkaline soil. More specifically, a soils pH can improve or limit a plants ability to absorb nutrients. Putting a plant in the wrong soil conditions can affect the health and longevity of the plant.
In British Columbia, we receive lots of rainfall which inherently creates an acidic soil. You can check the acidity of your soil with low cost soil pH testers available at Arts Nursery. If you need a more acidic soil, you can adjust pH by adding specific compounds to it, for example, Peat Moss. A soil can be made more alkaline by adding lime.
If you have any other questions about soil pH, please give us a call at 604.882.1201 or visit us in person at Arts Nursery Ltd.