I have high PH and high Alkalinity water. Here is some information about irrigation water changing soil. (My Two Cents Worth Be aware that peat is very low PH. Commercial mixes have added lime and that lime breaks down which can lead to a sudden drop in PH in pots. I saw one site for commercial greenhouses that recommended amending water only if the water was over 80 parts calcium carbonate -alkaline) From Most Extension Sites: "water with high alkalinity (i.e., high levels of bicarbonates or carbonates) always has a pH value ÷7 or above, but water with high pH doesn't always have high alkalinity" "In most cases irrigating with water having a "high pH" causes no problems as long as the alkalinity is low" " (very alkaline water) "One result is that the pH of the growing medium may increase significantly with time. This increase may be so large that normal lime rates must be reduced by as much as 50%." "In effect the water acts as a dilute solution of limestone!" "The problem is most serious when plants are grown in small containers because small volumes of soil are poorly buffered to pH change. " C/P quotes from Mass Amherst Greenhouse I am considering phosphoric acid since my water is well over 8 PH and more than 80 calcium carbonate alkaline. Any thoughts about whether that is a good acid to use? Here is a link that might be useful: Mass Amherst Greenhouse This post was edited by lucky123 on Sat, Apr 12, 14 at 18:55

We grow blackberries here at pH about like yours without issues. It won't hurt to add sulfur but your soil test doesn't tell you whether you can lower pH to any extent or how much sulfur to apply. You might not need to lower pH. What you need to know, relative to lowering pH, is how much free carbonates there are in your soil. This takes a further soil test. At pH 7.3 your soil might not have any free carbonates or it could have quit a lot. If there are free carbonates lowering pH to 6 will be difficult at best.

You have proved these levels of pH? What tool did you use to arrive at these readings. Can they be trusted to be accurate? From area to area you have 3 different pH levels that are quite different from one another. Its quite unusual for areas that are not that far distant to have such disparate of readings. I think you already have the answer --the pH at 7.0 --neutral reading, proved the best. Most grasses do well when the pH is more close to the neutral side....either above or below. If you can rely on such readings, then its a simple matter to bring up the pH to more a neutral level with the adding of horticulture lime. You might look into the use of gypsum---it can raise low acidity and lower high acidity. Aside from the affects of the pH, there are any number of reasons why an area of grass turns brown. From bugs, to low moisture content, (not watering enought), to too high moisture content (too much water given)....which can cause short roots--opening up the grass to hot sun drying it out) to mowing too short--causing much the same as above. To disease and to bugs that are eating the roots. One other thought; the dark color seems to point out you are fertilizing the areas. I'll assume you are regularly feeding the areas with a high nitrogen content fertilizer---usually early in spring and follow-ups throught he seasons. Too much fertilizer will, of course, bring the pH skywards....i.e....too high in the acidness side. (below 7.0) The 5.0 and 4.0 readings points out this possibility. High nitrogen fertilizers, applied year after year, after year....with no check on how much is spread and how often, sooner or later catches up to a lawn.

and yep, pretty much everything you see in a show is a 'myth' - same with artfully lit and framed photos in books and mags observe real gardens and don't beat yourself up for not achieving the imaginary perfection. As for raking, Flora is entirely correct - if the soil is not friable enough, a bit more forking or one of those cultivators with 5 curved tines will help. Once you have a nice crumbly tilth, use 2 boards as levels - laid parallel, just under the width of the rake. These boards act as guides - you can simply pull and push the rake back and forth between them.....and you can stand on them in order to avoid crushing and compacting your beds. The wider the rake, the easier it is to create a level area. My landscape rakes (used for gravel) are 3feet wide while I have a couple of border rakes with tiny 8 inch heads In general, we tend to rake an area (as Flora says) for using as a seed bed, or laying turf, but for general planting, I rely on gravity and irrigation and let the soil find its own level. In your case, you probably don't even need to break the soil up - left over winter, frost will do an excellent job of breaking great clods of earth into a fine crumb.....or, as you are putting a mulch down, just throw it on top and don't worry too much about getting everything level until a bit of time (and earthworms and micro-life) has a chance to do its thing. By Spring, you will have a really nice planting area - happy planning.