Grow on the Go: Dirt, ions and pH all you need to know to grow your own
Cat ion Exchange Capacity for grow on the go; easy to grow if you know your dirt! Grownthego.com
Soils are not selective about what they store. They can potentially store cat
Green Sherpa Grow On The Go
ions that are not plant nutrients, which can negatively affect plant health. Two examples of cat ions that compete for storage space with plant nutrients and that have an important impact of plants are Hydrogen (H) and Aluminum (Al). Hydrogen contributes to the pH level of a soil. The more H present in the soil the lower the pH (which means the soil is more acidic). Soil pH is important to manage because it influences soil chemistry, altering the forms at which certain nutrients exist. At very low pH levels, many of the essential plant nutrients become less available to plants, while other potentially toxic elements become more available. Aluminum is an excellent example of the latter case. It can be very toxic to plants’, however it is only present in the soil in a form that can be threatening at pH levels below 5.0. Most of the crops we grow as gardeners do best in soil with a pH level between 6.0 and 7.0, the range at which nutrients are most available to plants. Maintaining a pH level within this range is critical to maintaining soil fertility. Low pH levels can be raised by using lime or lowered by adding garden sulfur, an acidifying amendment. Keep in mind, soils with a high CEC require larger amounts of material to raise or lower their pH level than soils with a low CEC because they are storing more acidity (more Hydrogen cat ions). The advantage of these soils is that they are buffered better against unwanted pH changes. My next article will be on getting the right balance to let you grow your own whatever. The balancing act and putting all together. Once you grasp this flower planters or even any type of growing containers you will know what you need if you want your own kitchen garden or even ‘garden english’ type patio or deck.
Remember if you want to see this in action got Grow on the Go and see for yourself what you can do with saving water and growing easily to grow your own tomatoes, plants or flowers!
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