Is Alabama Soil Alkaline or Acidic?

Alkaline Areas

• Most of the soil south of Montgomery, Alabama is very compact and is made up of clay. The majority of this clay is alkaline with a pH level above 7. However, clay soil is not all alkaline; portions of the clay have pH levels below 7, though not by much, and can be considered acidic.

Acidic Soils

• The upper two-thirds of the state of Alabama has almost exclusively acidic soil. The clay soil that is well-known in Southern Alabama is virtually non-existent in the north, where the soil is mostly rich and loamy and, occasionally, poor and sandy but rarely alkaline.

Significance

• For the production of most landscaping plants, as well as edible vegetation, an acidic soil with a pH level below 7 is important for optimum growth. Lime can be added to alkaline soils to make them more acidic, or organic matter can be added to help change the texture and pH of the soil.