Organic Fertilizer to Balance Soil pH -
Why Your Fertilizer Stops Working in Alkaline or Acidic Soil

On the surface, your soil might look healthy. Not too dry, nor too wet. It might look just right. Deeper still, soil may have everything your crop needs, at least on paper. Nitrogen, phosphorus, iron, zinc, they’re all there.
And yet, the crop may have poor growth, or nutrient deficiency.
Does this sound like you?

Relax. Sometimes, the problem isn’t what’s missing from the soil. It may be what the plant is actually able to use. And that’s where soil health gets interesting. What happens beneath the surface can determine how well your crop can make use of what’s already there. So, let’s take a closer look.

Why Does Soil Health Matter?

Soil is more than the ground your plant grows in. It is the environment where roots find water, nutrients and the conditions they need to grow. The quality of that environment affects how well roots develop and how easily a plant can access what it needs.

1. Soil pH: What you need to know.
Soil pH tells you whether your soil is acidic, neutral or alkaline. Most crops grow well within a slightly acidic to neutral range, although the ideal pH depends on the crop and the soil. You may notice clues when soil conditions aren't quite right, such as uneven growth, yellowing leaves or plants that don't seem to respond to fertiliser treatment. But these signs can have several causes, so the best way to tell- a Soil pH test.

2. How to Read a Soil Health Card
After you get the test for your soil’s pH, think of your Soil Health Card as a health check-up report. It tells you what is present and, more importantly, what is missing. Look out the pH levels, and EC levels.
pH tells you how acidic or alkaline your soil is.
● Too acidic: nutrients like phosphorus, calcium and magnesium can become less available.
● Too alkaline: iron, zinc and phosphorus can become harder for plants to access, which may show up as yellowing or poor growth.
● Suitable pH: nutrients are generally more available to the crop.

EC or Electrical Conductivity, tells you how much salt is present in your soil.
High EC means: there is a higher amount of dissolved salts in the soil, which can make it harder for roots to take up water.
Low EC means: there is a lower amount of dissolved salts. This usually means salt build-up is less of a concern.

3. Nutrient Lock-Out: When Nutrition Gets Blocked.
Think of nutrient lock-out as nutrition getting stuck in the soil.

The nutrient may be there, but something is getting in the way of the plant taking it up. One of the things that can cause this is soil pH. When soil becomes too acidic or too alkaline, it can change the form of certain nutrients and make them harder for plant roots to take up. That is the frustrating part of nutrient lock-out.

You can have nutrition in the soil and still have a hungry crop. And this is why adding more fertilizer isn't always the first answer.

4. This Is Where FOM Comes In
The soil feeds the plant, and FOM (Fermented Organic Manure) is what feeds the soil. FOM adds fermented material to the soil.
Let's break it down first. Fermentation gives organic material a head start. Microorganisms begin breaking it down and transforming it, so it can be taken up by the soil better.
Organic matter is more than something added to the soil. It helps support soil structure, water retention, microbial activity and nutrient cycling, while also contributing to organic carbon.

5. Why Organic Carbon Matters
Organic carbon is a key part of soil organic matter and an important indicator of the soil's structural health. Building organic carbon over time can support soil structure, water management, microbial activity and nutrient cycling. It gives the soil more organic material to work with and supports the processes that keep the soil in tip-top shape.

This is why improving soil health isn't simply about adding more nutrients. It is also about building the conditions in which those nutrients can work.

6. How Can You Optimise Your Soil?

Step 1: Test
Start with your soil test. Look at your pH, EC, nutrient status and organic matter to understand what your field actually needs.

Step 2: Address
Use the right amendment for specific soil problems, while adding suitable organic material to build organic matter and carbon. Manage water and drainage, and support healthy root growth.
Step 3: Build

Avoid relying on repeated chemical fertilisers. Oftentimes the plant's needs are not being met, and there is an overload of strong chemicals which hurt the plant, its soil, and its roots. FOM can be part of this longer-term approach by adding fermented organic material back into the soil.

Soil Health: Do’s & Don’ts

✓ DO

● ✓ Test your soil before treating it.
● ✓ Check pH, EC and nutrients together.
● ✓ Build organic matter and carbon over time.
● ✓ Include FOM as part of a long-term soil-health approach.

✕ DON’T

● ✕ Assume nutrients present = nutrients available.
● ✕ Keep adding fertiliser without finding the cause.
● ✕ Treat gypsum as a universal pH corrector.

Keep Learning, Keep Growing

That was a lot to take in, but remember to tackle one concern at a time. Soil health has its share of numbers, nutrients and things to keep an eye on, but you don't have to figure it all out at once.

Start with your soil test. Follow it up by understanding what it is telling you. Keep a keen eye on your plants, and keep building better conditions for them.