definitely a good idea to do a soil test to see where you're at. Wood ashes work faster than lime, so you could use some of both, for short term ammendment and then the longer term fix. (do they also make "quick acting" lime? For some reason I think I've seen it.) I started with a PH of 5.4 and put down regular dolomitic lime in March, and had a fine garden that year. Even if it takes 3 years to complete its job, it does start acting right away. The normal time to add is in the fall, but just do it asap. And if you still have too low a ph you can choose low ph veggies like potatoes to grow :)

Since you have acid soil over a large area, changing it will be an on-going, long-term and possibly futile process. If you can't put in raised beds, with "imported" top soil, for your veggies and flowers that don't like acid soil, can you just learn to appreciate the acid-loving plants and shrubs, and grow them for the most part? You could then concentrate the pH changing efforts on the areas where you HAVE to change to grow certain plants. Did you have a soil test done, sending samples away, or did you use one of the home-tests? The home-tests can be inaccurate, so if it wasn't done in a lab, go to your county Extension office and get a free test kit and send it off. You might be surprised at the results - still acid but not horrible. Do tell the lab that you are using organic methods, as this would change their recommendations. Of course, if you DID send away for your testing, my apologies for doubting you. As the above posters implied, the test sheet you get back should say how much lime to add to change the pH. Since the lime acts reasonably quickly, and dolomitic lime works slowly, a mix of the two would last longer.

Ok first & foremost making compost should be fun, not something to stress over. After all you are doing your own small part to assist mother nature & keeping green waste where it belongs - back in the ground. Making compost is not for those in a hurry. Mother nature is in charge of decompostion whether in the woods or in an earth machine & she doesnt hurry. Your earth machine will heat up if you have the approx. C:N ratio. Above you mentioned crushed leaves are your browns. Perfect, crushed leaves are IMO the best brown. Greens, kitchen & yard waste (take the time to chop green matl. into small pieces). Now mix all that together, dump it all into the earth machine a bucket full at time watering as you go. (This is the only time matl. is added) Jam the lid on & walk away for 3 days. Then come back & notice how the lid goes on easy & how the pile has shrunk. Dig down a little & feel heat from within the pile. You can stir it a little & add water or do it when you come back to check in a couple more days. In any case mix & water when you notice the temp. going down. It is finished when the stuff you get out of the bottom is crumbly, smells good, has a few worms etc...Thats hot composting, matl. added one time only, requires some effort, but not much & its fun because finished matl. happens around 30 days. (sometimes less) Cold composting is not being concerned for C:N ratio, little watering & mixing, adding matl. frequently. Compost will eventually happen. I have two piles one hot one cold. I build my hot batches using the stuff I continually add to the cold pile & my kitchen waste. So fill that earth machine. Go out & fiddle with it now & then, learn as you go. Look at the stuff as it decomposes, think of where you will put the finished matl. Once you get finished matl. you will be hooked... Hope that helps & have fun :)

Aker's West Virginia Marianna's Peace Pruden's Purple Trust me, you'll probably never fully make up your mind (I don't), and there'll always be at least one or two varieties you'll wish you had planted after it's too late (me too). Pick out a few, try 'em and make notes/save seed for next year. Otherwise you'll go nuts, like all the rest of us. :-)