Soil pH Calculator
Find out which vegetables match your soil pH and how much lime or sulfur you need to adjust it for optimal growing conditions.
Affects amendment rates
Your Soil pH Results
pH Scale Position
✅ Vegetables That Grow Well at pH 6.5
⚠️ Vegetables That Need pH Adjustment
Test Kits and pH Amendments
The calculator is only as good as the pH you enter. Test first, then buy the amendment the result calls for: lime to raise pH, sulfur to lower it.
Test: chemical kit
Rapitest Soil Test Kit
A color-match kit that tests pH plus nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. A lab test through your county extension office is the more precise option.
Check price on AmazonTest: probe meter
SONKIR MS02 3-in-1 Soil Meter
A 3-in-1 probe that reads moisture, light and pH; the soil must be damp for a reading. Probe pH readings are rough; confirm with a chemical kit before you amend.
Check price on AmazonRaise pH
Jobe's Organics Garden Lime
A lime soil amendment for acidic soil. Use the pounds the calculator gives for your area and soil type.
Check price on AmazonLower pH
True Organic Prilled Sulfur
Elemental sulfur for alkaline soil. Sulfur works slowly as soil microbes convert it, so retest after a few months.
Check price on AmazonAs an Amazon Associate PlantingCalc earns from qualifying purchases. Picks are based on product listings and published specs.
Common questions
Most vegetables grow best in soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0, which is slightly acidic to neutral. This range allows plants to absorb the widest variety of nutrients from the soil. Some crops prefer slightly different ranges: blueberries thrive in acidic soil (4.5 to 5.5), while brassicas like broccoli and cabbage do best at the top of the common range (6.5 to 7.0). Testing your soil pH before planting helps you match crops to your conditions or amend the soil accordingly.
How This Calculator Works
This calculator compares your current soil pH against the preferred pH range for 23 common garden vegetables. Vegetables shown in the "match" list will grow well at your current pH without any soil amendment. Vegetables in the "needs adjustment" list require you to raise or lower your soil pH before planting for best results. Lime rates follow Cornell Cooperative Extension (Rockland County), which gives one rate for heavy soils and half that for sandy soil. Sulfur rates and the limit of 0.5 lbs per 100 sq ft per application follow Mississippi State University Extension Publication 2831, which gives separate rates for sandy, loam and clay soil. Crop pH ranges were checked against University of Maryland Extension, Table B-1.
Soil pH Tips
- Always test your soil pH before adding amendments. A home kit gives a quick reading; your county cooperative extension office offers a lab soil test for a small fee, which is the more precise option.
- Lime raises pH (makes soil less acidic) and works best when applied in fall so it has time to react with the soil over winter. Pelletized lime is easier to spread evenly than powdered lime.
- Elemental sulfur lowers pH (makes soil more acidic) but works slowly, taking several months for soil bacteria to convert it. Apply well before planting season for best results.
- Heavier soil resists pH change more than sandy soil, so it needs more amendment per pH unit. For lime, Cornell gives one rate for clay and loam and half that for sandy soil. For sulfur, Mississippi State gives three rates: clay needs the most, loam less, sandy the least.
Planting calendar and frost reminders
Get your planting calendar and frost reminders by email. Nothing else, no sharing, unsubscribe in one click.
Data last updated: October 2026