Growdo Baggins
Member
Erica Reinheimer says this,
"In the soil, elemental sulfur is oxidized by bacteria which in turn produce H+ and sulfate ions. The H+ acidifies the soil and the sulfate ion remains as a plant food or else is leached by rain or irrigation. The microbes do their work best in a warm moist environment. The process stops if it is too hot, too cold, too dry or too waterlogged. In cold climates spring application is preferred. Not much microbial activity is happening in the winter, and if the soil is flooded, the sulfur can be converted to hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg smell). Hydrogen sulfide kills plant roots. If winters are mild, fall application is preferred. When soil temperatures are over 55 F the elemental sulfur is significantly worked on by microbes."
So I've thinking about this, and one of my dilemmas with my living soil I've been getting ready was on the soil test my ph was low. It was 5.6 and even lower on the Paste, 5.3. I was also low on sulfur. So if I added the amount of sulfur I needed to meet target levels it would've dropped my ph too much. BUT, since I added my amendments while it was still cold outside. Below 55° most times of the day. Maybe not the whole day, but generally colder when I added all my amendments.
My question is, after reading what Erica wrote wouldn't you think that by adding it at that time, below 55°, it would've dropped or effected the ph less bc less microbial activity would be going on and less H+ would have been produced?
Thanks guys. I don't know if this is ridiculous to ask or anything, I'm just trying to learn stuff and talking about it with people who know something helps.
"In the soil, elemental sulfur is oxidized by bacteria which in turn produce H+ and sulfate ions. The H+ acidifies the soil and the sulfate ion remains as a plant food or else is leached by rain or irrigation. The microbes do their work best in a warm moist environment. The process stops if it is too hot, too cold, too dry or too waterlogged. In cold climates spring application is preferred. Not much microbial activity is happening in the winter, and if the soil is flooded, the sulfur can be converted to hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg smell). Hydrogen sulfide kills plant roots. If winters are mild, fall application is preferred. When soil temperatures are over 55 F the elemental sulfur is significantly worked on by microbes."
So I've thinking about this, and one of my dilemmas with my living soil I've been getting ready was on the soil test my ph was low. It was 5.6 and even lower on the Paste, 5.3. I was also low on sulfur. So if I added the amount of sulfur I needed to meet target levels it would've dropped my ph too much. BUT, since I added my amendments while it was still cold outside. Below 55° most times of the day. Maybe not the whole day, but generally colder when I added all my amendments.
My question is, after reading what Erica wrote wouldn't you think that by adding it at that time, below 55°, it would've dropped or effected the ph less bc less microbial activity would be going on and less H+ would have been produced?
Thanks guys. I don't know if this is ridiculous to ask or anything, I'm just trying to learn stuff and talking about it with people who know something helps.
