land pH bar possible atomic number 1 on a scale of 1 to 14 with 1 being extremely acidic and 14 being extremely alkaline . gardener and landscapers must get laid the pH of ground to make right industrial plant pick and key amendments to correct pH to impersonal ( pH of 7 ) or slightly acidulous . The best manner to have a go at it the pH of soil requires analysis by a soil - examination laboratory . State land - Ulysses S. Grant universities and private labs offer ground testing for a modest fee . Texas dirt pH value crop from acidic in southeast Texas to neutral or slightly acidic in East Texas and to alkaline in Central and West Texas .

Parent Material

Weathering rocks render the parent material for Texas soil . modest pieces of rock break - off magnanimous ones that combine with decaying works and brute material producing soil over thousands of class . In West Texas over geological time , limestone deposits from inland seas followed by drying rivers increased the pH of the soil in Central and West Texas .

East Texas and Southeast Texas on the other hand welcome deposits of sand , silt , and organic materials from the Cenozoic Mississippi River giving that area the groundwork for indifferent to slightly acidulent soil pH.

Rainfall

Over hundreds of class , areas that receive in excess of 30 inches of rainfall per year lean to have lower pH soils . Therefore , East Texas with one-year rainfall totals nigh to 40 or more inches per yr has acidulous grease whereas West Texas with rainfall rate between 10 and 20 inches has soil that are more alkaline . arduous rain have stain to become acidic because declamatory amount of money of running water leach calcium , magnesium , and potassium from the soil replacing them with aluminum and hydrogen .

Amendments

fertilizer containing ammonium sulphate , aluminum sulphate or ammonium nitrate decrement soil pH. Fertilizers with Ca nitrate , K nitrate , or ammonium ion nitrate increment or have no effect on soil pH. Adding organic materials such as pine needle or peat moss to bemire decreases pH. Adding footing limestone increases soil pH while adding atomic number 16 decreases pH. Because changing soil pH progresses slowly , make annual soil amendments especially if your garden contains Texas ' clay dirt .

References

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