I have chemical deposits on the stems of certain plants. The white crusty powder material on the outside of the stems tastes like baking soda.
The alkaline soil does not seem to be hurting the 8 foot tall corn, okra, tomatoes, squash or the melons. It appears my melon crop will be the best I have every had in 40 years.
The Beans and the Hops are having problems. The leaves are yellow, dried up and dead along the edges.
I have noticed my vegetable have a different flavor than Tennessee vegetables did and TN vegetables taste different than Illinois vegetables. Illinois vegetables have the best flavor of the 3. My Grandfather always said, the soil gives the vegetables there flavor.
Soil and water both test 8 ph using ph paper = litmus paper. The water is also high in IRON, sinks, toilets, tubs all turn rust color. I have been watering the garden with a soaker hose but starting today I am going to mix the water in buckets with vinegar until the ph is down to 6 then water my beans and hops to see if that helps.
Does anyone have any ideas?
Watering with coffee can help add acidity to soil, especially if it's been sitting for at least more than 30 minutes. Plus, it has other antioxidants that make plants happy too. Also, adding an aspirin in your watering can is safe to raise acidity too. Mulching spent coffee grounds into the soil is another way too, and if you ask them...many times the local coffee shops will set their grounds aside for you. I have one here where I live that saves their grounds for me to put in my compost. I'm not a fan of vinegar, because I use it mixed with salt to kill weeds. I associate it with death, LOL!