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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] nafex pH Question

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  • From: road's end farm <organic101@linkny.com>
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] nafex pH Question
  • Date: Sat, 5 May 2007 10:12:56 -0400


On May 4, 2007, at 8:18 PM, oowonbs@netscape.net wrote:

I did once see a map of the U.S. in an aggy book in
the library... It was specifically a pH map. It was
very plain that pH in the eastern U.S. was/is, acidic.
The west was alkalai. The center was neutral.

This may be true as an overall generalization; but don't assume that your particular soil fits the generalization. Get soil tests of the specific field.

In the Finger Lakes of NY soil types, and soil acidity, vary wildly even within small areas. It's not at all unusual for one farm to have multiple soil types, or for them to have different natural pH. This is I believe at least partly due to the fact that there was a lot of glacial activity here; but I think a similar effect might be produced in areas that were subject to major flooding, even thousands of years ago.

In addition to this factor, previous farm/garden activities may have affected pH and other nutrient levels.

Oh yes -- and you can indeed make your soil overly alkaline by applying too much wood ash in a small area over a number of years. I did exactly that, years ago.

--Rivka
Finger Lakes NY; zone 5 mostly



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