I second the suggestion of vinegar. I'm growing some blueberries in containers and needed to lower the pH in their pots from 6.5 to 5. I didn't need enough to buy a large bag of soil sulfur, so I added a cup of vinegar to a gallon of water. While watering the plants, I would add a few cups of the dilute vinegar. When they needed to be watered again, I tested the soil with a pH meter and added a bit more of the dilute vinegar until I had the pH down to 5. I got my meter on eBay just as DH12 said. Some people say they aren't accurate, but mine is working fine as long as I insert the probes fully into the dirt and make sure the dirt is moist. Some people don't read the instructions that say these meters won't work in liquid, and then say these cheap meters don't work. I have an aquarium test kit and and tested the pH before I got the meter, but it was difficult sometimes because water raised the readings unless I used distilled water to mix with the soil sample. The meter is quick, cheap, easy, and gave me the same results as a reagent test kit. Because of having to water frequently this summer with hard tap water, the pH creped back up to 5.5 after a month, so I added a bit more vinegar, and the pH is holding now. Greg

There are many things that determine what a soils pH will be, and all have been clearly laid out here by several contributors. What the soil is composed of, rainfall, and amount of organic matter all play a role in how many free Hydrogen ions are in that soil and soil pH is a measure of that. What is needed to change a soils pH depends on where it is and what is meant to be done. Adding lime (Calcium Carbonate) will reduce the free Hydrogen ions and raise the soils pH while Sulfur adds more of them and lowers the soils pH. A good reliable soil test from a good soil testing lab is a good source of information and they should be able to tell you how much Sulfur needs to be added to make the needed changes. Adding 1 pound per 1,000 square feet when 10 pounds is needed will not do much of anything. Throwing a handful or three of something is more a waste of time, money, and energy than any help. Here is a link that might be useful: understanding soil pH

go with mushroom compost or black cow. Home Depot oughta have both of them. try to mix it with your soil to a depth of about 18 inches. If $$$ are REALLY tight, you can create "pots" in the ground. Dig a hole about 3 feet wide and 2 feet deep. mix your bagged compost with the dirt you remove. shovel the mix back in (you should now have enough fill to create a "mound" on the top) plant your seeds in the center. Each season, add compost. buy it or make it yourself, but add it. best thing you can do for your soil. I have a red wiggler composting setup going now, and it is doing some WONDERFUL things....

Yes and no, you can grow hydrangeas in our Dallas/Fort Worth alkaline soil. I live in Hurst, just west of D/FW Airport, and planted mine with organic compost mixed with the local soil. I also add ammendments once a year to keep the alkalinity from getting too high. By the way, "assorted" hydrangeas generally are macrophyllas. Otherwise, hydrangea leaves develop iron chlorosis (the leaves turn yellow except for the leaf veins which remain green). Adding iron chelated liquid products or acidifying the soil with Hi-Yield Soil Sulphur, ammonium sulphate or aluminum sulphate (if you do not have azaleas) will also work. You can get these products at Calloway's, The Plant Shade, Redentas, Blooming Colors, Monday Landscape, HD Landscape, etc Some acidity is also needed to change the color of pink/blue macrophyllas but that is a difficult thing to do and monitor. Whites, of course, will not change color. Most colored hydrangeas will be pink here due to our alkalinity. Purchased blue/purple, they will revert to a shade of pink in time. The withering problem is an indication that (1) summer is approaching and our temperatures have reached into the mid to high 80s some days and (2) more water will be needed as June aproaches. Make sure that the plant has 3-4 inches of mulch past the drip line. Also make sure that it gets dappled shade (3-4 hours of sun) and is not planted in a windy location. Plants that get sun after 10-11am will show signs of sun burn. About 1 gallon of water twice a week is ok in spring but make it three days a week as summer arrives. Because you are not used to the watering requirements of hydrangeas, I suggest that you check it daily for 2-3 weeks until you see a pattern developing. Insert a finger to a depth of 3-4 inches. If it feels wet, the plant is getting too much water (this can cause root rot and fungal infections in the leaves). If the soil feels moist, take no action. If it feels dry or almost dry then water. As soon as you notice how often you are having to water, you can continue watering every "x" days. If you hear of a wind advisory during summer, water the night before if you can; wind causes unexpected wilting here in July and August. Wilting is a fact of life here for large leaf plants here in the summer. However, watered well, the plants recover on their own by bed time or next morning. I keep an eye on them daily as soon as we get into the mid 90s to 110s. If the plant looks VERY wilted, I water immediately; otherwise I wait... I increase the amount of water on a regular basis (to three days a week) when wilting persists past next morning or when plants show to be in VERY wilted conditions when I get home in the afternoons. This is where checking manually with a finger helps prevent watering too much. In the fall, reduce the amnount of water. And since the ground here does not freeze, remember to water during winter too. The plant will be semi-dormant and drop leaves but I still water them 1/2 gallon to 1 gallon weekly during those times. Sunscald is easy to identify & indicates that the plant is getting too much sun. You will notice the leaves in direct contact with the sun turning yellowish and later, affected areas dry/brown out. Fertilize in May and July with about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of cottonseed meal. If you have to prune, do it before July as flower buds for 2008 will begin developing then and you do not want to cut them off. Good luck barbie26, Luis