What you need to know about soil PH

PH is the measurement of how acidic or alkaline the soil is. It is on a scale of 1-14 with 1 being most acidic and 14 being most alkaline.

• Why does soil PH matter and what is a good PH level: PH levels matter because certain plants thrive in more acidic or more alkaline based soils. A simple search online will give you all the detail of what type of plants your soil is best suited for but in New Zealand we have a slightly acidic soil structure which suits most fruit trees and vegetables. Accuracy isn’t a major issue if it’s within 1.0 numeral in the PH scale the plants will be able to adapt to the soil type.
• How to change soil PH levels: Soil PH levels are changed through additives like organic media; compost. 
• How compost affects soil PH: Adding compost helps condition the soil and provides a long-term solution and source of nutrients to the plants. Organic media is also sustainable, renewable, and biodegrable which equates to an environmentally friendly product.
• PH monitoring: Once compost is applied, simple testing of the soil can be done to track the PH level as it can shift over time, especially in the first year of an application. Changes mainly happen depending on watering and amount applied.