Oak leaves acidic right?

[wsommariva]

Hi everyone,

Yes I worry allot. My compost is mostly oak leaves. I think they are acidic. How does this affect my flowering plants and bushes and my grass when I topdress. I already apply a good amount of lime on my lawn twice a year.

[wsommariva]

Great what a relief, thanks.

I did test my soil a few years ago with a test kit from Home Depot. So acidic it did not register. I'll see if Rutgers will test my soil.

Lime is expensive indeed.

[wsommariva]

For $20 Rutgers will test my soil and recommend how much lime to put down. Thanks again for the great tip.

[gixxerific]

Yes the test is good thing to do.

As far as lime, garden lime is good and cheap. I have seen it in Lowes for under $5 it is also pulversied so it gets mixed in better.

But that as it is most clay soils have an abundance of "lime" in them already.

Oh where is HG when you need a good complete explanation.

[tomc]

Oak leaves just fallen from the tree are acidic. Mostly due to a lot of lignin in oak leaves they are slow to cold compost. Once fully composted oak leaves are about neutral.

Soil testing and some questions should suggest an application rate for limestone.

[wsommariva]

Interesting. Maybe my soil isn't that acidic after all. Within a week I should get the test results. Would be nice to be able to cut down on the 14 bags of lime I spread twice a year - my worst lawn job.

[cynthia_h]

Oh where is HG when you need a good complete explanation.

Beats heck outta me...I like to follow up on the links he posts!

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

[rainbowgardener]

Interesting. Maybe my soil isn't that acidic after all. Within a week I should get the test results. Would be nice to be able to cut down on the 14 bags of lime I spread twice a year - my worst lawn job.

14 bags of lime twice a year!? How many acres of lawn do you have and was it pH zero to start with?

HOW OFTEN SHOULD LIME BE APPLIED? Lime should be applied ONLY when soil testing indicates that it is needed. Yearly applications of lime, without making a soil test, are strongly discouraged because alkaline (high pH) conditions may develop.

https://ohioline.osu.edu/agf-fact/0401.html

that article has lots of good info including a table of how much lime to apply if it is needed.

Personally, I have never in my life limed a lawn...

[wsommariva]

Half acre. I did test my lawn with a test kit from Home Depot. It registered very high in acidity.

I'll let everyone know what my test results are from Rutgers when they arrive.

[toxcrusadr]

You might know this, so I don't want to insult your intelligence, but simple test kits will give a pH value, and neutral is 7. "High acidity" corresponds to LOW numbers, below 7. Are you saying you got a high pH value or truly a high acidity/low pH? If your pH was high it was time to stop adding lime.

[wsommariva]

I understand PH as I have a pool (that I hate)

My soil test was 8 or 9 years ago. I assume I read the instruction correctly and determined high acidity.

[wsommariva]

Just received my results. I'll start a new topic.