Re: Can common acid be use as Soil Acidifier

Dear Charlie:

Thanks for the question. This is a more complex problem that it first appears. Although it is possible to lower the pH of soil with common acids, the resulting soil will not be of much value to grow plants. The problem is not lowering the pH; it is controlling how much the pH is lowered. A proper pH is critical for the nutrients to be released from the soil; for more information check out the following:

http://www.crop.cri.nz/curresea/ soil/vegph.htm#top.

Acids such as muriatic acid (hydrochloric acid), battery acid (sulfuric acid), or acetic acid (vinegar) would lower soil pH to a level where even the beneficial soil microorganisms would not survive. Check out the following sites if you want to learn more about soil.

http://www.metla.fi/info/vlib/soils/#1

http:// homepages.which.net/~fred.moor/soil/ph/p0104.htm