Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

nafex - [NAFEX] Pine needles not acid!!!

nafex@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Jim Fruth" <jimfruth@charter.net>
  • To: "NAFEX" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [NAFEX] Pine needles not acid!!!
  • Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:03:23 -0500

Maybe I should save this letter because I keep repeating it every year for the benefit of new members:

Every few years I teach a Horticulture class and for the first day of class I bring a bunch of fresh dry pine needles, a bunch that has been used as mulch for a year and some nearly composted but still recognizable, along with a beaker, stirring rod and distilled water and a pH meter.
First I crush the dry needles as finely as I can by hand, place in the beaker, add the distilled water, stir and let set for a few minutes. Then I insert the pH meter probe and ask a student to read what it says. "Oh, it's alkaline," is the usual response. Not very alkaline - pH 7.2 is normal. When the other two tests are performed, the pH reads 7.0.
I don't do a similar test for Oak leaves but have observed that the soil pH doesn't change by incorporating the leaves into the soil.
I can't say with certainty that no pine needles are acidic because I haven't tested them all. I have tested a great many, though.

Jim Fruth
Brambleberry Farm
Pequot Lakes, MN 56472
For jams, jellies, syrups and more:
www.jellygal.com
1-877-265-6856 (Toll Free)
1-218-831-7018 (My Cell)




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page