Growing Food: A Guide to Food Production

4. The presence of Clubroot disease in Brassica crops.


5. The presence of acid tolerant weeds such as gorse, bracken, foxgloves, sorrel
   (sourdock), spurrey (sand weed) and Agrostis (Bent) species of grass.

The range of Soil pH Values is given below:

PH

value

Description and

typical location

Typical plants

3.5–4.0

4.0–4.5

4.5–5.0

5.0–5.5

5.5–6.0

6.0–6.5

6.5–7.5

7.5–8.0

8.0 +

Extremely acid. Rarely found,

sometimes in forested areas

Also extremely acid. In humid forest

areas, or where the soil is wet and peaty

Acid. Mainly in cold humid areas

Fairly acid. Typical of unlimed soil in

wet climates

Slightly acid. Moderate climates with

high rainfall

Neutral. Moderate climates with medium

rainfall

Neutral. Hot, dry climates

Alkaline. Semi-desert areas.

Extremely alkaline

None

None

Oats, lupins (and Irish

potatoes above about

pH 4.6)

Millets, soybeans,

potatoes, tomatoes, rye,

cotton, tobacco

Wheat, grasses, beans,

maize, cabbage, barley.

G Crops

Most crops but not Irish

potatoes or tomatoes

Lucerne (alfalfa),

sainfoin (O.viciaefolia)

None

Tolerance of Plants to Soil Acidity
Some food crops tolerate acid soils better than others, as indicated above. Further
details are outlined below:
Sensitive
Barley, Cabbage, Carrot , Cauliflower, Chickpeas, Lucerne (Alfalfa), Mangolds, Mung
Bean, Niger Seed, Red Clover, Sugar beet, Wheat.
Intermediate
Avocado , Cassava, Cotton, Cucurbits, Field Peas, Groundnuts (Peanuts), Haricot
Beans, Kale, Lentil, Lima Beans, Maize, Okra, Onion, Papaya, Sorghum, Soybean,
Sunflower, Swedes, Tobacco, Tomato, Turnips, Wild White Clover.
Tolerant
Bananas , Buckwheat, Cowpeas, Guava, Irish Potatoes, Lupins, Mango, Oats, Rice, Rye,
Sweet Potato, Watermelon, certain weeds

GROWING FOOD – THE FOOD PRODUCTION HANDBOOK 21