Be careful not to confuse cause and effect. Whether a soil tends to be acidic or alkaline has very little to do with what grows there except only by default - acid loving plants will grow in acidic soils and those plants that prefer more basic conditions will be predominant in alkaline soils. Soil pH is determined primarily by the base material, the rocks underlying that specific geography and comprising the mineral element of the soil, and then secondarily by rainfall - areas with plentiful rainfall will tend towards acidic soils and very dry, xeric locations will tend towards more alkaline soils. All healthy soils will contain both fungal and bacterial populations but with natural plant growth that is more woody in structure (trees and shrubs), the fungal organisms will dominate. With predominately herbaceous plant growth (prairies, grasslands), bacterial organisms will be most plentiful. Soil organisms can impact soil pH (in addition to other, more manmade alterations) but they do not create it.

lets pretend this is all just hype and not look into making changes. Or plant less lawn and more veggies.....

The first thing to do is STOP. Re-eavaluate your goals on the project. Washing and sanding to a dull finish is required when painting over varnish. That is, if you want a long lasting, durable bond. Washing with Dirtex will clean away the dirt and grime (and there is some)and also do some deglossing. A light sanding with #180 sandpaper (aluminum oxide) will create a dull, open surface to which the primer can quickly bond to. Wash first, sand second. A high quality, Acrylic blocking primer will hide the dark stain. Have the primer tinted toward the finsh paint colors.After primer is dry, caulk all unsightly gaps and seams. That will create a seamless finish between trim and wall. Two coats, properly applied, (not thin) will cover well. Be sure you're using the highest quality, 100% Acrylic Latex paint, that you can afford. There is no short-cut to a quality paint job. When it comes to trim, you want to be able to stand back and say, "that's a very nice finish", not just, "well, the color is different". :) Michael

Teresa, I never post here. Rudeness seems to be the M.O. I was raised way better. i did a refresh on my very small galley kitchen. Repainted the cabinets, new hardware, ended up replacing the floor (big leak and mold) in that awful trendy grey wood look tile, and non stone (I used a lighter shade of wood look tile) counters. New appliances (cheap and black). No backsplash (what are those actually for anyway) other than the counter material going up about three inches. All together way less than $10,000. And my "art" comes from generic places too lol. DIYer is so not me. I am good at using my phone. I have an EXCELLENT handyman. Through Home Advisor. I also have used Handy for putting furniture together. i also lived in a very dysfunctional kitchen before my divorce. Raised seven children and entertained for all twenty five years. Parties of well over one hundred. In a very ordinary 1800 sq ft home. I miss every bit of that. I am glad you went ahead with YOUR plan. I hope to see photos soon!