Soil pH is important since it affects the growth of plants and the severity of some diseases. Calcium, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium are likely to be unavailable to plants in acidic soils.
Plants have difficulty absorbing copper, zinc, boron, manganese and iron in basic soils.
By managing soil pH, you can create an ideal environment for plants and often discourage plant pests at the same time. A pH reading of 7 is neutral, and is ideal for many plants and spray materials. The pH scale is logarithmic, which means that a pH reading of 6 is 10 times more acidic than a reading of 7. The wrong pH can lock nutrients in the soil, making them unavailable to plant roots. Acceptable pH varies by plant type.