Talking to my neighbor about his tomato plants made me double check my own soil

He's been gardening for 40 years and said his tomatoes were stunted and yellowing for weeks. He finally tested his soil pH and it was at 5.8, way too acidic for them. He told me, 'I was just throwing fertilizer at it, but the roots couldn't take up any of the good stuff.' I went home and checked my own patch with a kit from the hardware store. My pH was 6.1, which is still on the low side for most veggies. Has anyone else had a season ruined by not checking acidity first?

3 comments

3 Comments

jones.nancy2mo ago

Why are we all so obsessed with perfect pH numbers? My grandpa gardened his whole life and never once tested his dirt. He just added compost from his pile every year and had the best tomatoes on the block. Sometimes plants just have a bad year, it doesn't mean you need to run out and buy a test kit. Maybe the weather was off or the seeds were weak. I feel like we overcomplicate this stuff now.

cole3562mo ago

Right, @jones.nancy, it's like we're trying to fix everything with a number now.

davis.ruby2mo ago

Honestly though, a simple pH test can save so much guesswork. Your grandpa's compost method worked because it naturally balanced things over time, but that's not a guarantee for everyone's soil. If your dirt is way too acidic or alkaline, plants literally can't take up nutrients no matter how much compost you add. It's like trying to eat with a stuffy nose, the food is there but you can't get to it. Testing just gives you a starting point so you're not blindly adding stuff.