Got my new ph tester in today

I've been poking the ground everywhere LOL it's reading anywhere from 6 to 6 l/2 . 7 on the potatoe rows. (we added more lime when planting.) Question is, Is that good enough for this years veggie garden. Since i've already got 9 rows planted. and I can't put it into the ground very well. And another question, Before planting the fall garden, can I buy the pelletized lime and put onto the garden before planting the fall garden?

thanks in advance.

Also tested the area for blueberries, will have to do some amending for the soil there LOL

I love my new ph tester.

Where did you get the tester?

off ebay. It wasn't an expensive one, but will do the job I hope.

Potatoes like blueberries are not usually limed as they prefer lower PH.

Pelletized lime will disolve some over winter and sweeten the soil some for spring but does nothing for a fall crop.

Most crops do well in the 6¼ to 7 PH range.

HUm, I didn't realize that about potatoes. Powder lime won't work for a fall garden? if put in the beds between plantings?

I wonder if there is an on line list ((chart) that shows the proper p h levels for veggies/fruits etc.

1. If your readings are reasonably accurate, forget the lime. Potatoes will grow ok, but are more susceptible to scab in a neutral soil.

2. Most plant files vegetable listings contain pH range recommendations. There are a few, lima beans and beets come to mind that prefer a pH over 6.0. Most will do well over a wide range from 5.5 to 7.0.

3. Pelleted limestone is just ground limestone or dolomite (it is available in both forms) treated with an inert substance and pelleted for easier handling. It works as fast as ground limestone. Faster results can be had with Calcium hydroxide (hydrated lime) but it is mean stuff to work with and in any case you would not need it.

Thanks Farmer. We took my dh's extended cab truck to batesville last fall and had it filled with hydrated lime for the garden, which is why it's decent on ph now, it was very low last year, didn't have a good garden at all. so if it's a 6 to 7 now, it must have been very low for the whole truck load to bring it up to a 6 LOL

I am confused. Did you lime the area, where you want the blueberries? if not, and you and you needed all that hydrated lime, it should have a low pH for Blueberries. By the way, You can add the pelleted limestone if you think it is needed to maintain pH. Calcium Carbonate is nothing but a neutral rock that reacts with acid. Same thing as marble chips , It won't raise your pH past neutral

WEll, I limed the whole garden, yes, and at first I wanted to put the blueberries in the garden, but since talking with you decided to put them beside the garden just outside the garden in it's own area. The ph is still high in that area 6 is the reading level.

We are always careful to toss in sulfur with our potatoes when we plant 'em, and dig sulfur around the blueberries as well. But then, my soil tends to be alkaline with all the limestone in it.