How to Use Antacids to Raise the Soil pH

Although a few gardeners crush brand-name for-human-consumption antacid tablets and add them to the soil, why not use an antacid made specifically for gardening -- and that's more effective and less expensive? The pH level of soil is an indicator of the acidity of the material. A low pH reading indicates a high acidity level, while a high pH reading indicates high alkalinity. For plants to comfortably grow, the pH level should rest somewhere between 5.0 and 7.5. If you need to raise the pH level in soils that are highly acidic, you can do so with the application of lime, an antacid.

Drop spreader
Lime (powdered)
Garden gloves
Garden spade

Instructions

- 1
  Adjust the dial on your drop spreader to fit the recommended settings on the bag of powdered lime. This will ensure that the lime is spread properly over the soil.
- 2
  Fill the hopper of the drop spreader with the powdered lime, ensuring the gate lever is closed, so that the material remains in the hopper.
- 3
  Release the lever and walk the spreader around the perimeter of the area where you want to raise the soil pH. Keep a steady pace to distribute the lime effectively.
- 4
  Walk the spreader in adjacent passes back and forth over the remaining soil to spread the lime.
- 5
  Integrate the lime into the first 2 inches of the soil by turning it over with a garden spade. You can protect your hands with garden gloves during this process. Once the lime has been integrated, the soil pH will slowly go up to a more desirable level.

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