I'm posting on this OLD post because it still comes up at the top of google search for "citrus peels lower soil ph" ... I have been doing tests with Citrus Peels.... I have found that about 30 good size grapefruit peels blended up in a blender (lots of batches of blending) with half water/half citrus in the end, produces a good acid base. I did enough to fill 30% of a 5 gallon bucket, which I then diluted to a full 5 gallons of liquid. This was then diluted 5 fold to register a drop in pH of 1 for the water... This diluted citric acid can be used similarly to sulfuric acid dilute. There is a company here that sells Moon Juice which is a combination of sulfuric acid + iron and other trace minerals... It's used for temporarily lowering the ph so trees and shrubs and such can uptake iron and other minerals that lock out at alkaline pH Levels... Given that we're in the southwest we have an ABUNDAND supply of citrus and over time, this is the same effect the trees fruit would give to the soil if there were no humans to tend to and pick the fruit... the fruit would rot on the ground, the citric acid would leach out into the ground as it decomposes and maintain a more acidic soil balance for the trees long term support... So can you use citric acid to dilute, yes you can, though, just like with a sulfuric acid dilute, you're going to need to apply it regularly (monthly or so depending on ph plant/etc) until the bacteria that feed on the sulfur have had enough time to lower the soils actual ph levels ... Something that seems to be long forgotten as I read some of these posts is... all living things have a pH, you can burn things by dropping ph too fast, or by raising too fast, so obviously some of the responses regarding putting acid next to the roots are appropriate, they are also inappropriate because your obviously not going to dump straight acid on anything unless your intention is to utilize the full strength of the acid :P Good Luck! Would love to hear about what you've done and how it's developed since your original questions!

Still, it's one thing to have someone tell you that finished compost will come out more pH neutral than tapwater and another thing to actually see it. LOL, I had to take several "control" readings with my meter just to make sure it was still reading correctly... ;-p

A good lawn and garden begins with good soil. The best way to find out the condition of your soil is to contact a local County Extension office and get a soil test done. These are in most states but there are exceptions, CA and OR being two. In this case you can usually find a private lab listed in your Yellow Pages, on the Web or get a referral from a University or Garden Center. They are generally quite inexpensive for a basic evaluation (less than $10). You can get home test kits but the feeling is that the lab tests are more reliable. A soil test will help determine what your native soil is so you can select plants that will do well on your land. In most cases the lab will make recommendations for amendments you can add to alter the characteristics of your soil for optimal plant growth. Having your soil tested allows you to determine the best plants for your garden and gives you a baseline for improving it depending on the type of plants you wish to grow. Testing on a regular basis allows you to monitor the available nutrient, nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium and add what is needed for optimal plant growth and vigor. The best time to test your soil is in late fall or early spring. This gives the soil microbes time to adjust to, and incorporate the corrections. The Testing Process Most of the labs will send you the details on how they want you to collect samples but they are basically similar to this. Gather together: A Clean Bucket A Clean Trowel A Clean 1 Qt container for the sample Collect The Sample Dig a number of holes 6-8 inches deep in the area you wish to test. Take a thin slice from the wall of the hole and place it in the bucket. Repeat for each of the holes you dug. Thoroughly mix all the soil together. If the soil is very wet spread it out on some newspaper to let it dry a bit. It is important to have a dry sample. If the sample is too wet it can give false results. Place some of the collected soil in the container and seal. Mark the bag with your name, address, and date. YOU SHOULD ALWAYS GET PROFESSIONAL ADVICE BEFORE ADDING ANYTHING TO YOUR SOIL. THE FOLLOWING ARE VERY BROAD, GENERAL GUIDLINES AND SHOULD NOT BE DONE WITHOUT PROPER RECOMENDATIONS The testing agency can give you specific recommendations on amounts of material you need to add to get the desired results. Alkaline Soil-pH above 7.0 pH too low--Adding sulfur will lower the pH Acidic Soil-pH below 7.0 pH too high--Adding lime will raise pH Poor Nitrogen Content Addition of fertilizers Natural (preferred) or synthetic will increase the soils nitrogen content. Nitrogen Levels Too High It is possible to have soil that is too rich. Too reduce the nitrogen content water well and often and add no additional fertilizer till levels are reduced. Low Phosphorus Levels Bone meal or super phosphate will bring up the phosphorus levels. Phosphorus Level Too High Use a fertilizer that is lower in phosphorus and plant densely to use up the excess. Low Potassium Level Add potash to raise the potassium High Potassium Levals Add no additional potassium till levels are reduced. Side Note Gardeners who practice Organic methods have often found chemical additions to be a temporary fix. It has been shown that the addition of vegetative matter, in the form of compost, worked into the soil every year will usually have the effect of leveling out chemical unbalances. This often will have a much more permanent and positive effect. Improving Soil Texture/Drainage (Tilth) Soil falls into a number of categories. Clay, sand, loam, and many combinations. Each has distinct characteristics. Poor draining, unable to retain nutrients, dense and hard to plant in or work. In most cases the addition of organic materials will improve the condition of whatever type or soil you may have. A few of the things that are effective are: Compost Peat Moss Leaf Mold Shredded Leaves Thanks to all who contributed to this piece.

Possible they are using manure as an ingredient in the compost and the farmer used lime to keep down odors in the barn. Not an uncommon practice. For the OP: 8.3 is calcium carbonate (limestone found in the typical bag of lawn and garden lime). Possibly what you have there. I would expect some movement toward neutral as it finishes, but who knows how long it would take. You can keep checking if you have a pH meter and if it stays high and seems to be affecting plants, use slightly acidified water when watering. 7.8 is not that high though, I'm not sure I'd mess with it unless you're trying to grow azaleas or blueberries. The high K may be from the compost but also could be coming from the fertilizer you used, depending on what it is. My garden soil has high soluble K but it doesn't seem to hurt anything. And it will leach away over time in your containers. This post was edited by toxcrusadr on Tue, Jan 6, 15 at 11:28