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Anyone successfully acidified clay soil from PH8 to neutral?

TheRainyGardenTheRainyGarden Posts: 51
edited February 2021 in Problem solving
Hi, I'm new to Gardeners' world and I wonder if anyone could please share experience of acidifying clay soil? I had a soil test done and my 2 plots have PH of 7.8 and 8, and they are very heavy clay. I also took the home vinegar test and there was not so much frizz but only small bubbles if I look closely. I searched the different options and sulfur dust or flowers of sulfur seems to be the easiest. I want to acidify soil ph to 6.5 and wonder if anyone has done it before? I want to know how you did it and whether it worked? (If not I would also appreciate that you share the lesson!) Thanks.
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  • Mrs-B3-Southampton,-HantsMrs-B3-Southampton,-Hants Posts: 732
    Welcome to the forum.
    I don't know the answer but I'm interested in why the acidification is required.
    Southampton 
  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    It is virtually impossible to make big changes to your soil's ph but you can build raised beds and fill them with neutral soil. Adding sulphur round plants that prefer a bit more acidity can help to support them but by and large, you are better to select plants that enjoy this type of soil. They are many and various.
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    I have have all my acid loving plants in tubs, as it sounds like you have an allotment and will be growing vegetables I have never had problems with the soil pH for them.
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    It would be impossible to get your soil to a PH as low as 6.5, no matter what you use. You can have a moderate, short-term effect but it always reverts in the end (I know, I’ve tried it) and is only really suitable for borderline neutral-very slightly acid preferring plants. I do mix in and then heavily mulch my very alkaline clay-based raised beds with ericaceous compost and granite grit, which improves soil texture and drainage. This has some effect and allows me to grow a slightly wider range of plants. True acid-loving plants, e.g. blueberries, do need their own pot of suitably acidic planting medium.
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    I had very alkaline soil in my long border, clay and limestone, shallow with rock underneath. It was 8 - 9. I bought a trailer of cow manure from a farmer to start with. Over the years I added horse manure from my horses and bought and home made compost. I put citrus peal in the compost. Years later I tested the soil again and it was 7.5.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • Allotment BoyAllotment Boy Posts: 6,774
    It's generally acaccepted, that you can't fundamentally change large areas of soil in this way.  I did see on the Beechgrove garden ( the Scottish  gardening programme), a garden they visited had alkaline soil except for one large bed. The owner explained that there had been a large pine tree there, and so it had a very deep layer of pine needles, that had accumulated over about 50 years.  
    AB Still learning

  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    I think you have to go with what you've got unless you use containers.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • TheRainyGardenTheRainyGarden Posts: 51
    Thanks for sharing your experience Nollie. Would you mind sharing more detail about having the short term effect and revert? When did you start to see the pH come down and when did it go up again? I am thinking of using ericaceous compost from now on only as well
  • TheRainyGardenTheRainyGarden Posts: 51
    That's some encouragement Busy-Lizzie, thanks for sharing. How long did it take to get down to 7.5 if you remember?
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    I started that bed 30 years ago, but I can't remember when I last tested the soil, maybe 15 years later.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
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