Seedbed: The myth of ‘ideal’ soil pH ranges

Some take these ranges to mean that they should try to reduce a high soil pH,
which is generally futile and has little impact on crop growth

by KEITH REID

A popular chart in many agronomic publications is the list of ideal pH ranges for various crops. The implication is that you shouldn’t even try to grow a crop that is outside this range, or that you should work diligently to make sure your soil is within the range for the crops you want to grow.

While I don’t want to minimize the importance of soil pH on crop productivity, I find that the implied meanings of these charts greatly exaggerate the reality.

Better Farming - June/July 2008