[Stoves] Basic soil--Basic info !

[Alex English]

Andrew,

  The chap explained at the time that horticultural crops
were generally best on acid soils and that it was farmers that applied
lime to grow food crops.

*That's a bit of a generalization.*


  Your chart seems to demonstrate that the
trace elements we need in our food are all most available in a "very
slightly alkaline" soil.
  AJH

*I see it differently. The common trace elements (molybdenum is the exception) are less soluble as pH rises to neutral and alkaline.Its a little enhanced in soilless media but we can see iron deficiency in Petunias when the pH rises much above 6. We can see manganese toxicity in Marigolds**  when pH drop below 6.**
**
**Plants that are adapted to the 'natural' soils they evolved in. Some agronomist have pointed out that plants that 'like' acid soils (low pH), for example blueberries, can be grown in soils with higher pH by providing readily available trace elements***(not  moly)*, the elements that would be less available at that higher pH. An opposite scenario would be providing molybdenum to a crop like alfalfa when planted in acid soil. Two tonnes of lime or 2 ounces of moly could have similar effects. Moly is important in biological nitrogen fixation, and a harder to handle and spread than two tonnes of lime which makes the naturally ocuring moly available.**
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**  **Alex*


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