Acid Soil Remedies for Florida

About pH

• The pH of soil lets you know how acid or alkaline it is. A pH of 7.0 is neutral, and anything above that is alkaline, while a reading below that indicates that the soil is acidic. Sometimes the term “sweet” is used to describe alkaline soil while “sour” describes acidic soil. These terms hearken back to the days when people actually tasted the soil to determine what it needed. With the current understanding of soil-borne pathogens, the terms have survived in some places but not the practice of taking a taste.

Florida Soils

• The average soil in Florida is slightly acidic, with a pH of 6.1, according to the University of Florida IFAS Extension. This reading varies widely across the state and is much lower in areas populated by pine forests, while it goes up considerably along the coast and in the southern part of the state. Test your soil rather than assume it is acidic, since raising the pH can cause problems if the soil is neutral or already alkaline.

Testing

• Collect three or four random soil plugs from the area you want to have tested, more if it’s a large area. Use a trowel to dig down about 2 inches if you plan to plant grass or 8 inches for garden areas. Place all the samples together in a single plastic container and mix well. Don’t collect samples from any areas that look significantly different from the rest of the area; these should be tested separately. Use a home soil test, send to a soil-testing lab or send a pint of the combined soil to the University of Florida IFAS Extension Soil Testing Laboratory.

Remedies

• Add a liming material, such as crushed limestone, to increase soil alkalinity. Dolomite will also raise the pH and is best if your soil is lacking magnesium, a common problem in Florida. Mix in 2 to 3 pounds of dolomite or limestone per 100 square feet of surface area, working it into the top 8 inches of the soil and watering well afterward. Lime two or three months prior to planting for the treatment to be effective. For quicker results use hydrated lime at a rate of about 1.5 to 2.25 pounds per 100 square feet and wait two to three weeks before planting.