[Terrapreta] CORRECTION re: Terra preta 101

[Sean K. Barry]

Hi Allan,

Yes, I agree.   Charcoal put into acidic soils (with lower pH) can raise the pH, buffering the acidity, making the soil more alkaline.
Charcoal and ash are both alkaline, ash more so than charcoal.  Alkaline is HIGHER pH.

Regards,

SKB
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Allan Balliett<mailto:aballiett at frontiernet.net> 
  To: Michael Bailes<mailto:michaelangelica at gmail.com> ; terrapreta at bioenergylists.org<mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org> 
  Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2007 4:54 AM
  Subject: [Terrapreta] CORRECTION re: Terra preta 101


  Mihael Bailes said:

  >Charcoal will lower pH. Ash will lower it drastically


  Like I often do, I think you flipped a bit on what moves soil sweet 
  and what moves it sour.

  Here's a comment from the U of Conn on the affects of wood ash on garden soils:

  >Wood ash acts on the soil much like limestone in that it raises the 
  >pH or alkalinity of the soil. Consequently, many wood stove burners 
  >dump the ashes on their garden site with the thought that they are 
  >improving the soil condition of their garden. Yet unlike limestone, 
  >which can take six months sunfloweror more to take effect, wood ash 
  >has high water solubility and quickly changes the soil pH. This can 
  >cause a problem with raising the soil pH over the optimum level of 
  >6.5 to 7.0 if we spread too many ashes in the same area. A soil pH 
  >over the optimum level can affect plants as adversely as a pH that 
  >is too low. High pH will limit the uptake of important soil 
  >nutrients needed by the plant such as phosphorous, iron, and 
  >magnesium.

  I'm here to tell you: you don't want to get your soil pH higher than 
  7.5 if you want your gardening efforts to be productive.

  Here's a perhaps off-topic question for you soil scientists: what is 
  the relationship between "alkalinity" and 'pH'? I've been lowering 
  the pH of my well water (8.2) with the addition of vinegar for foliar 
  spraying and find that test strips may show a pH of 6.0 but we are 
  still over the top on alkalinity, even if I add an agricultural soil 
  softener and bring us into the test strip 'soft' range.

  -Allan Balliett
  Fresh and Local CSA
  Shepherdstown, WV




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