Soil pH is a measurement of acidity or alkalinity of the soil on a scale that ranges from 1 to 14. An acid soil will have a pH value below 7 and an alkaline soil will have the pH value higher than 7. A soil that has the value of pH 7 is a neutral soil.

Usually, the pH value of the soil is controlled by its calcium levels. Calcium is an alkaline element that is contained in any soil. Soils with high levels of calcium, like chalk or limestone soils, are alkaline. Calcium is washed from soil in time by water and the soils that have low levels of calcium, like sandy soils, become acidic. You can control soil alkalinity by liming or adding lime-rich elements into the soil, like mushroom compost.

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