We’re totally complicating this now, eh @Meesh? Sorry.
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Some good information in this series of Dan Kittredge this is part 1 of 9 YouTube videos! Enjoy!
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Did more digging today on some dirt in front of the veggie plot that I tore the grass out of. I’m gonna use some of that black plastic garden edger to section it off and put more flowers in there to line the pavers as you walk through my yard. Amended my new blueberry bush the other day with some epsoma soil acidifier. Gonna keep an eye on it since it takes awhile to work. I’ll probably need to keep hitting it every six weeks until it’s down to 4.5 ish. BTW… Dr. Earths planting soil for acidic plants is bullshit and was a super expensive pointless purchase as 6 weeks after planting the ph was at 7. Ugh.
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For the blueberry, while you wait, just drop the pH manually & hand water until it’s staying low. I agree on the so-called “acid” or “acid-lovers” soil mixes. Tried about 3 of them. Kellog I couldn’t find though, which claims 4.5-5.5! 
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Do you think it matters too much in the interim? It is still a baby and I won’t be expecting it’s first real crop for 3 years. It won’t die while the ph slowly drops will it?
Had a few hours to start this series today. Very interesting theory! He just uses rock dust and sea salt. Wow! I’m on the third episode.
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I can’t say with expertise but I know they hate 7+ pH from experience.
And since it’s getting established I’d definitely “baby” it with preferential watering. Too bad there aren’t 2 plants to try both on.
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Well, my water comes out of the tap at 5.4 and the soil is at 7. Theoretically shouldn’t this have dropped the soil ph to 6?
How exactly do I get it to 4.5 with my water? I have ph down liquid and all that, but what am I aiming for ph wise in my water to drop it that low? It seems the potting soil is buffering it back to 7 even with just tap water as is.
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Ya I’m on 4 or 5 I think I’v seen most of them though at one point or another he goes in mineral balancing, brix information and several other points that are good info!
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Ha have to remember that H and OH are logarithmic in Ph it takes awhile in soil I’d suggest to naturally drop ph start with wood chips and get the mycelium network established fungi naturally acidified soils with its enzymes it secrets where as highly dominant bacteria soils swings it the other way. Have to remember it can’t be done overnight!
Dan kittredge touched a bit in this in the episodes
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Pine needles I think can do it over time if memory serves me double check that for me though
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Great advice as it’ll take ~8-12 weeks to see the ph drop as low as you need it
Watch it for yellowing leaves as that is the 1st sign of too high ph with blueberry bushes…give it time and it’ll be great 
There must be a lot of limestone (calcium carbonate) in your soil to make it raise like that
Actually over time, wood chips will drop ph only slightly…its better for tilth and holding water so makes a great mulch to attract fungi when it eventually breaks down. When its mixed in the top 6" of soil, it may bind up nitrogen (some species don’t) so the ph drops a little though after the decay, you end up with more organic matter and potassium than a lowered ph.
Only fresh pine needles will temporarily drop ph
Here is some great reading
Wood Mulch by Linda Chalker-Scott Phd
Pine Straw Acidity by Scott Jacobs
Iowa State University How to change your soils acidity
Wood chips in Vegetable Production by Brian Caldwell
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[quote=“MomOnTheRun, post:151, topic:13601”]
There must be a lot of limestone (calcium carbonate) in your soil to make it raise like that
It’s that Dr. Earth acid lovers potting soil. No yellowing leaves, but it hasn’t grown since I bought it. Just put the epsoma that you suggested in it the other day. I read they were a pretty slow growing bush though. They did have a tiny bit of soil that came in the pot with it. I’m assuming the ph in that soil right near the root ball should keep it fairly acidic until the rest drops. Time will tell.
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So far they have been consistently like a reddish color like they came
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Gotcha. Yeah they grow very slow especially now that the seasons are changing and getting ready to enter its dormancy period.
Yup! The roots just won’t expand until the soil is in the ideal range. Looking at the baby, she looks healthy enough. Go ahead and remove those leaves with the black spots (herbicide damage) and be careful with watering frequency as like cannabis, they don’t like wet feet and really hate over fertilization.
I hope you have better luck with yours than I did mine
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Right?! Especially since this pot has no drainage holes. I really have to watch myself. Hey, if nothing else those stupid prong meters at least work on moisture. lol
I’m gonna keep trying until it sticks darn it! If it dies, I’ll buy another one! I WANT BLUEBERRIES!! 
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So, Dad dug out some of the designated cannabis beds while I was gone. The pipe in there isn’t attached to anything and will come out. Something my Gramps put in and never ended up using.
I also received my new snowy beach party lilac bush, gardenia bush, a bearded mariposa iris, 3 bleeding hearts and 3 Ice cream tulip bulbs in the mail while I was gone. Got everything planted Super excited about this new lilac bush! The branch looks strong…
Also, got the violas aka pansies planted that I started from seed
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Awesome thread @Meesh, I’m all caught up now. Lotsa work.
I need to do same to a patch of my parents’ garden. They want me to grow their 4 legal plants next summer, and are giving me a 10x15 spot that needs help.
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Cool! I hope you start a thread on it so I can watch the process! I’m doing all the soil rejuve and planting on 3/4 of my yard. This portion is all flowers, veggies and herbs. My Dad’s working on the designated cannabis beds, her,e we will put all new living soil. Everywhere else in my garden I am rejuvenating my old soil and making it look nice. Gonna get a composter and start doing more organic type gardening. I love the thought of using the earth to replenish the earth.
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A few things I’ve learned while digging up my yard.
- Shit aka manure is a super cheap and magical fertilizer
- Keeping everything moist whether anything is growing or not, is improving my soil
- Compost tea is like god’s gift to plants. I don’t have my own real compost yet (except the giant veggie patch), but I have been buying it from my local hydro store and like the magical shit it makes all of my plants go crazy.
Simple, I know.
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