# How to Add Baking Soda to Raise or Lower the pH Value of Soil
You cannot lower the soil's pH balance by adding baking soda; you can only raise it. Adding baking soda to soil will raise its alkalinity, which can be beneficial to certain types of plants and detrimental to others. Always do a soil test -- even if it's a very basic one -- to determine whether your soil is too acidic before you add baking soda to raise the pH value.
Things You'll Need
- Distilled water
- Bucket or other container
Instructions
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1
Take approximately 1 tbsp. of soil, and mix it with a 1/2 cup of distilled water.
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2
Sprinkle a pinch of baking soda into the soil-and-water solution. If the mixture sizzles, you will need to treat the soil for acidity.
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3
Mix 1 tbsp. of baking soda with 1 gallon of water in a bucket, then water the soil until it's moist. Do not oversaturate the soil, as too much baking soda in a single plot will overcorrect the pH and cause high alkalinity in the soil instead of high acidity.
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4
Re-test the soil using the same methods after the soil dries. Repeat the treatment until the soil registers as neutral.
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