Nearly everyone who's planted a garden has heard of pH, but not quite as many know that pH stands for "potential of Hydrogen" and is a measure of acidity or alkalinity of water soluble substances, a measure of the hydrogen ion concentration of a solution. Solutions with a high concentration of hydrogen ions have a low pH and solutions with a low concentrations of H+ ions have a high pH.
A pH value is a number from 1 to 14, with 7 as the middle (neutral) point. Values below 7 indicate acidity which increases as the number decreases, 1 being the most acidic.
Blueberries, in particular, are sensitive to pH levels and are most productive in a soil with a pH of 4.5 to 5.5. Other plants that do better in an acidic soil include strawberries, currants, gooseberries, elderberries, and rhubarb.
Vegetables that prefer acidic soil include potatoes, radishes, peppers, sweet potatoes and parsley.
To find out the pH value of your soil, put about half a cup of garden soil in a plastic bag and take it to the Extension office, 6447 Kootenai Street, Bonners Ferry. Cost of each test is just $2, and requires a turnaround time of one to two days.
For more information on pH, how to sample soil and how to attain the pH your plants need, click here.