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  • From: "Jeff Ball" <jeffball@starband.net>
  • To: "'gardenwriters-on-gardening'" <gwl-g@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: RE: [gwl-g] soil pH
  • Date: Wed, 14 Apr 2004 16:11:55 -0400

To all of you experts on the soil food web:

Over the years I have heard several anecdotal stories about plants that
were planted in soil with an improper pH and when given an annual
application of compost, the plant was able to change the pH within its
root zone without affecting the pH outside of its root zone. e.g.
Rhododendron planted in pH of 8.0 survives with annual application of
compost and after many years, the pH within the root zone is 5.5 while
outside the root zone is still 8.0.

I have a feeling that these stories are true, however I believe that the
actual work to change the pH of the soil within the root zone was
accomplished by some type of soil bacteria or maybe mycorrhizal fungi,
or maybe both. I also suspect that while compost might contribute to
this phenomena, it would seem logical that adding organic material over
time into the soil via mulch and earthworms might also create the proper
environment for this mysterious change in pH within the plant's root
zone to occur.

Does anyone have data to support this concept or to destroy it? I have
not been able to ask Google the right question.

Jeff Ball





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