Good day, wanted to start a thread to see if anyone measures the pH of their trees.  I mix various type of medium together and test the pH level of my trees.  Most of my trees are 7 or 6.5.  I've heard of some that set their figs at pH of 7.8 or 8.  I am interested in learning the pH level of Martin's, Gorgi, Bass and JD's trees?  And anyone else that would like to chime in with their pH level. 

In other words I'm adding this information to my database and linking it to fig trees and the grower's location.  One day it will be nice to see how a fig tree performs across the US and see if pH and location is a prime factor.

Please give your location, fig tree, pH, in pot of ground.

I plan on sharing this data with UCD this year.

thanks,

I never test but when I repot a tree, I put around at least  2 cups of lime.

Sorry Dennis i can be of no help as only thing i ever measure is fertilizer , i dont even measure the lime i add .

The pH of our tap water and soil tends to run about 8. My figs are going to have to live with that. The local in-ground figs I've seen seem to be doing quite well. Not as lush as some I've seen growing elsewhere however. That could be the result of RKN however.

I'm a newbie (fell in love with figs about three weeks ago).  Have two six year old trees which have never had figs until this year (two breba's each), and now have many figs on the trees. 

When I decided to try to learn as much as I could about the care and feeding of fig trees, I did check their pH.  6.5.  I live in Dallas, and many wonderful members of this forum have given me awesome advice, including the addition of lime.  So what I can do as a newbie is give you a pre-lime ph (6.5) and a post-lime pH.  I will add the lime this weekend, and perhaps post again mid-week with the results of the pH test.   Maybe that will be helpful. 

location:   central NY state, zone 5

Ooops!  I'm the newbie who neglected to give a full answer to your query.

Two trees, in pots, one a petite negri the other a green ischia, in Dallas, 6.5 pH currently.  Will lime and report again next week.

Hi Dennis,

We are in central Arizona. 

Fig trees are, six or seven different unknowns, Black Mission, VDB, Atreano, Celeste, Col de Dam, and Kadota.  All are in ground except for the Kadota, (which will be in a month or two).

PH is roughly 6.5, rocky clay soil.   (That was before I limed last month). 

(After liming, most have shown growth at an increased rate, BTW). 

We will be very interested in your findings.  Thanks.

The PH here was 6.5,when I tasted it long time ago.
I do apply limestone powder or granulated every year,and I remember a few years ago I checked again for PH and nothing changed after applying Limestone soo,it looks like it is not easy to really change the soil ph in an open garden.

bump. Has anyone done anymore with this ph testing?

You know Gene, I find it very strange that folks will dump limestone on their tree but they won't test the pH!  I don't understand why.  I test all of my trees especially those in my orchard.  It has been my research that all nurseries keep figs around 6 or 6.5.  But most of my trees are around 7.  I guess many are not testing their soil.  I do not add that fast acting white powder lime to my trees!   About 5 years ago, I killed my largest LSU Gold with that stuff...never again!  But testing your pH is critical in my opinion.

one handful for 3 gal, 2 handful for 10 gal... good healthy pinch for the 1 gal. no idea what PH my trees are at. i grow figs like the way i cook. i don't need no measuring cup. 

[QUOTE=snaglpus]You know Gene, I find it very strange that folks will dump limestone on their tree but they won't test the pH!  I don't understand why.  I test all of my trees especially those in my orchard.  It has been my research that all nurseries keep figs around 6 or 6.5.  But most of my trees are around 7.  I guess many are not testing their soil.  I do not add that fast acting white powder lime to my trees!   About 5 years ago, I killed my largest LSU Gold with that stuff...never again!  But testing your pH is critical in my opinion.[/QUOTE]

My plan is to test the soil around my current trees as well as each new hole this spring. If I need lime, and with clay soil I expect I do, what is the best form to use?

The granulated lime works pretty well.  It is not as shocking to the plant as the powder.  Dennis is definitely right about that.  Absorption happens too quickly, and plants can often die with an overdose.  I test my soil at the beginning and end of each growing season.  By applying early, there is a slight pH spike, but it drops after a few soaking rains.  I have limestone bedrock, so the pH really doesn't change much due to limestone's buffering capacity.

Dennis
Around here I see farmers applying lime so I assume the soil is somewhat acidic around 6.5 maybe.
 
I don't have a handy way to test PH.  Can I use litmus paper or do I need a PH meter?

Have trees in-ground and in pots very interesting to compare the results.  I prefer to eat the ones in-ground.  The figs in pots get sweeter, ripen earlier and have more brebas.
Sandy loam soil, Zone 6a assume PH of 6.5.

I use 2 different pH meters to test.  Trees with 6 or 6.5 grows better IMHO.

If they are just hardware store meters they are useless.  I have a good PH meter because I grow a couple hundred blueberry plants.  The PH of your soil mix does matter but mostly what will determine the PH of your mix if you irrigate will be the bicarbonate load in your water.  

[QUOTE=pino]Around here I see farmers applying lime so I assume the soil is somewhat alkaline around 7.5 maybe.
 
[/QUOTE]

Pino,

If they are applying lime, the soil is likely acidic or significantly below 7, as lime is used to make soil more alkaline or raise pH.

Soil pH can vary drastically within a small area depending on underlying bedrock, fertilizer use, various organic amendments, prior land usage, drainage, rainfall amount and the amount of acid in the rain. (and probably other factors I can't think of right now)


 

Thanks Ed.  I had my scale mixed up I meant to say slightly acidic and thus the lime.
In general over time as fruit crops are produced year after year does the soil get more acidic? 

Gene, Dennis,
The best range for pH seems to be between 6.5 and 7.5, it is difficult to achieve an actual exact pH.
I measured the pH of Dolemite Limestone, Potting Mix, Garden Soil and Water last year only because another Forum member had asked, but I usually don't measure, I just add Dolemite Limestone to my potting mix at 1 cup per 5 gallon of mix to start, with an additional 1/2 cup of limestone per month for the first two months. For the Garden, in the spring I add limestone per the "Mittlieder Method of Gardening Pre-plant" at approximately 4 cups for every 50 Square feet.

Dolemite Limestone Granular, Pulverized and Pelletized  doesn't change the pH values as radically as most assume. The measured pH of 2 tablespoons of pulverized limestone in 4 oz of stirred distilled water with a pH of 6.7 is pH of 8.9. Many farmers use Agricultural Lime, Quick Lime and Hydrated Lime which are processed lime products and are much more alkaline and caustic.

Ulster County, NY  Zone 6a/5b
Garden Soil had an average measured pH of 6.4
Water had a measured pH of 6.8 to 7.1
Potting Mix (5-1-1-1) had a measured average pH of 6.7 (at the end of the growing season when they were measured).

The measurements were taken with a Fisher Scientific Accumet pH meter, and was done by a Certified Lab Technician whose services were paid for with figs and a promise for more in 2014.

<Edit> Other cultural practices that help to maintain a stable pH are cover crops, application of compost, green manure and Espoma fertilizers with Mycorrhizae microbes on the garden soil in the Spring. The Espoma Tone are added to the initial potting mix and monthly as fertilizer and for establishing healthy microbe colonies in the containers.

This is an interesting article I found the other day about ph in containers.
http://www.rootmaker.com/docs/pHFactorContainersE.pdf

Depending on your fertilizer and what your plants take up will affect your pH as well, cation and anion uptake will affect how much hydrogen is released into the media or water creating times of more acidity or less acidity.  For example when calcium or potassium (or both at the same time) is/are taken up quickly, hydrogen is released and can cause more acidity in your root zone (both ca and K are cations).  Normally this will not affect soil or soil based medias much but in hydroponics it can be significant especially when first balancing the plant and a high fruit is on the upswing.  Faster growing plants, such as cucumbers, show the effects more dramatically than slower growing plants, such as peppers (speaking in hydroponic vegetable production as I don't have any information on soil based crops).  I only bring this up as something to add but I don't think it is very likely that the figs will be affected in the same way, although when figs are swelling and producing, under these potassium pulling conditions, I believe your soil pH will lower slightly (maybe .1 or .2 as a guess, hydroponics I have had swings of up to .8 pH drop in such conditions on cucumbers over several days).  This being said, Pete's range is a good aim but if you're in that range I wouldn't get too worried about where it is, unless it's below or above that number.

Can someone describe how they measure the pH of their soil/medium?  Do you take a volume of soil, add it to a certain amount of distilled water, and then measure the pH of the liquid with a pH strip or meter?  Thanks!

Phila,

I use a Kelway which is a direct read device.  You plunge it in to soil and it gives you a reading.   The thing to remember though is the PH of your water maters a little but what really affects that PH is the bicarbonate load of your water.  You could have water with a PH of 7 that will never change the Ph of your soil or you could have water with a PH of 7 and it has a huge effect on your soils PH....the difference is the bicarbonate load in the water.  High bicarbonate water is just like pouring lime on your plants with each watering.  

Revisiting a 1 1/2 year old thread .

Dennis "how bout them figs" types
What PH is your fig tree's .


Dennis there still snoring ( Dormant)  but i can ask them around mid March.
"Hey Vernino whats your PH ?"

Anyone have a recommendation on which pH meter has worked well for you? I'm hoping to make some better educated decisions on fertilizer applications this year. Thank you ☺️!

I have used this one with good success http://www.amazon.com/Accuracy-Measurement-Resolution-Handheld-Household/dp/B00W4PH6OC?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

People will tell you that a cheap ph meter won't work. That's totally not true with this one. Once calibrated it reliably tests ph of known solutions with what I consider a very reasonable degree of accuracy (+ or - .15 ph or better).

Testing a solution and testing soil are two entirely different things. You must develop a method of testing the soil that is reliable and repeatable. Is it easy? NO. But neither is driving samples or mailing samples to your county Ag extension office to be tested.

My figs do well at a pH of 7.0.

My orchard soil ranges from 5.0 to 6.5 ph.
I have my orchard on a slope and fine dirt has washed down the hill side
for who knows how many years. So I have about 2 feet of good dark soil with red clay
underneath.
I learned years ago that figs seem to like slightly acidic soil so I haven't added lime in years.
I take a couple cups of soil, add water to mix then let dirt settle out.
I use a ph test strip and test that water. It gives me a good idea of my soil ph.

So I put the blueberries in the 5.0ph soil and figs in the 6.0ph and up.
Figs are very adaptable in many kinds of soils and ph does not seem to be a factor
I worry about much any more.

Doug