My plants (both flowers and vegetables) are in an area at the cottage with a lot of spruce and pine trees, so I assume that my soil is acidic. I have added pelletized lime. Is there somewhere that I can get my soil tested to determine the pH? I would like to amend my soil to make it more suitable for growing
Thank you for contacting the Toronto Master Gardeners.
From a previous posting on Toronto Master Gardeners, the following may be of help:
- Simple soil testing kits to test the soil for pH, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium can be purchased at any garden centre.
- The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) has a list of accredited soil testing sources www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/resource/soillabs.htm
- In addition the City of Toronto Public Health Department has published an excellent Guide for Soil Testing in Urban Gardens. https://www.torontomastergardeners.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Guide-for-Soil-Testing-in-Urban-Gardens.pdf
OMAFRA also has an excellent Online Gardener’s Handbook, and specifically the link that follows addresses pH in the soil:
https://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/gardbk/gh-ch3-1soil.htm
It sounds like you have a good handle on what you need to do to have a successful crop. These tips should help you attain that goal.