PH means potential hydrogen. An acid is defined as any element that can donate hydrogen. Geoff Lawton in this short video gives us the best introduction to soil PH I have ever seen. He says the ideal soil PH is between 6 and 7. Plants can alter their soil PH in a limited fashion. We can do our part to balance the PH by adding compost and mulches which eventually increases the humus in our soil. Humus protects our soil PH and gives it balance. Humus is defined as a complex organic substance resulting from the breakdown of plant material in a process called humification. This process can occur naturally through the action of soil biology, or in the production of compost.
This video is part of his free course on Permaculture Design. To learn more watch the free 4-Part Permaculture Masterclass Series: https://www.discoverpermaculture.com/permaculture-masterclass-video-1
Geoff Lawton grew up in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, an impoverished area. As a young man he was a surfer and traveled the world searching for Big Waves. When he was still young, he wound up in Australia. He decided to work in rural Australia where he met Bill Mollison who founded the modern Permaculture Design movement. My favorite Mollison quote is this: "You don't have a slug problem, you have a duck deficiency."
In this short video Lawton mentions gypsum. Gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. It is widely mined and is used as a fertilizer.
Poster Comment:
This is from my new gardening blog which is about gardening in a Grand Solar Minimum.