North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Mike Levine" <mlevine@umich.edu>]

My understanding is that the pH of the litter strongly reflects that of the parent material in the area.  Oaks tend to be very deep rooted so this occurs more so with them.  I live in a calcareous area (limestone parent material) so the oak litter is alkaline.  I've seen pine litter measure 7+ too in this area, especially in the river flood plain where alkalinity seems to be the rule around here.  However, most areas are not alkaline like here and are either mildly or strongly acidic, in acidic areas, the trees pump up the acidity from below and reflect it in their litter.  Hope that helps.

 

Mike Levine

Ann Arbor, MI zone 5b

----- Original Message -----

From: Jim F

To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org

Cc: jfruth@uslink.net

Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2003 9:20 AM

Subject: [NAFEX] Submission

     Why do so many people believe the 'old wives tale' that pine needles and oak leaves make the soil acidic?

     Upon the first day of my Horticulture class, for a gee-whiz experiment, I grind up dry pine needles, add distilled water, insert a pH meter, and ask a student to read the meter.  "Oh, it's alkyline," is the usual response.  Not very alkyline, really, with a pH of 7.2 to 7.3.  Next, I take a jar of pine needles and oak leaves that have been fermenting for a month and ask another student to read the meter.  "pH 7.0," is the invariable response.  For the last portion of the experiment, I have a third student read the pH meter for a jar of pine needles and oakleaves that have been composting in my garden for a year.  The pH is still 7.0, no more acidic than other composted vegetative matter.

     Every time I encounter a conifer that I hadn't tested before, I collect its needles for a pH test and I have yet to discover acidity among those I have tested.  Perhaps there is a species of conifer, somewhere, whose needles make soil acidic, and if there is, I just haven't found it yet.

Jim Fruth

Pequot Lakes, MN 

 

 

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