For healthy plants, test your garden’s soil for pH level

By JESSICA DAMIANO Associated Press

HEALTHY PLANTS are the most critical component of a thriving garden. And one of the best ways to keep them that way is to make sure your soil’s pH level suits their needs.

Every plant requires a specific soil pH range within which it can best absorb essential nutrients. Because the optimal range is different for every plant, gardeners should learn the pH requirements of each one.

For example, carnations require a pH range of 6.76.9; turfgrasses, 6.3-6.8; tomatoes, 6.2-6.8; rhododendrons and azaleas, 4.5-6; blueberries, 4.5-5.5.

• What’s pH?

Soil pH indicates the degree of acidity or alkalinity of the soil, as measured on a 14-point scale. A pH of 7 is neutral. Values below 7 are acidic, and those above 7 are alkaline. Each unit on the scale is 10 times removed from the next, so a pH reading of 7.0 is 10 times higher than a reading of 6.0. That means a mere 1-unit difference is huge.

If the pH isn’t suited for a specific plant, it won’t be able to absorb enough nutrients, whether natu-

Compost

CONTINUES FROM PAGE F9 composting). Coffee grounds and filters are still fine, as are relatively clean pizza boxes. (If you’re worm composting, shred the boxes first.)

What you can’t compost

Plastics can’t be composted unless they’re specifically marked otherwise. Paper products that are in good condition (i.e. not stained with food) should be recycled, not composted, if your community offers paper recycling. Metals (like cans and alumi- rally occurring or applied as fertilizer. That results in deficiencies that present as stunting, discoloration and even death. Improper pH can also poison your plants, because just as it inhibits the uptake of essential nutrients, it can also increase the absorption of other nutrients to the point of toxicity.

• How to test your soil

To learn the pH of your soil, use a testing kit, strips or an electronic meter, num foil) should also go in recycling. which are widely available at nurseries and online retailers.

Milk cartons, which are made from coated paper, should not be composted. Tea bags used to be reliably compostable, but because they are now often made with plastics, these too should be left out (though the tea itself is compostable).

Natural-fiber clothing (like wool, cotton, and silk) could in theory be composted. But because they’re often blended with synthetic fibers that are not compostable, including polyester, acrylic and elastane, you should avoid composting fabric.

Kits typically involve applying a few drops of a chemical dye on a soil sample, waiting a minute or so, then comparing its changed color to a chart.

Similarly, test strips change color when dipped into a mixture of soil and water. And pronged electronic meters provide a reading after they are inserted into the soil, sometimes

Like some clothes, pet waste can also be composted in theory. But adding it to the mix carries the risk of spreading pathogens, so to be on the safe side you shouldn’t. The good news is there are organizations piloting projects that compost dog poop with additional safety measures.

How to store your food scraps

One of the trickier parts of the composting process is figuring out how and where to store excess food scraps before they’re dropped off or added to an outdoor compost bin.

for the site. It’s best to call ahead for specific directions.

• Soil amendments

You’re all set if your soil’s pH falls within your plant’s required range. However, if the reading is outside the range, your next step should be to amend the soil with elemental sulfur to lower its pH or ground limestone to raise it.

Work the product about 8-12 inches into the soil before planting. Read the package label for quantity recommendations.

Cooperative extension-provided tests offer the added benefit of expert guidance. Your results will arrive with advice about how much of which amendment to add to meet your specific plant’s target range, as well as the size of the area you are treating.

with water. You can also bring a soil sample to your county’s cooperative extension office; find yours online at http://npic.orst.edu/pest/ countyext.htm, which likely offers soil testing for a nominal fee.

General guidelines will instruct you to dig up a quarter cup of soil from three separate areas 4 inches deep within the same bed (or lawn), and mix them together to create an average

If you have a worm bin, the easiest thing to do is keep the bin in the kitchen and put scraps directly inside. If you’re doing yard composting, you can get a small kitchen container and take it out daily. For those who have to go longer between pickups or dropoffs, keeping a modest-sized compost bin in the freezer can cut down on odors and flies. For those with bigger needs, a five-gallon bucket (like the kind paint comes in) with a tightfitting lid can also work. If your food scraps are going to a commercial facility, you can line the containers with compostable bags to make cleaning easier.

Be sure to test each section or bed in your garden separately. It’s not uncommon for variations — sometimes big ones — to occur, even within a small yard. It’s also best to run a pH test every two or three years, as conditions can change and amendments wear off.

Jessica Damiano writes regular gardening columns for The Associated Press. She publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter.

While composting is a great way to curtail your carbon footprint, there is one even more effective way of keeping food waste out of landfills: Don’t produce it in the first place. Americans currently throw away roughly a third of the food they bring home from the supermarket.

“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency adopted a solid waste hierarchy of how to sustainably handle waste,” Goldstein says. “And of course at the very top by far and away the best thing you could do is to generate less of it in the first place.”

Aaron Posnik

Aaron Posnik

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