The damaging effects of high soil pH: urban legend or reality?

Alkaline soils (pH above 7.0) are typically regarded as “problem soils” that require amendment with materials such as sulfur or ammonium sulfate in order to support good plant health. But this belief may be much more of an urban legend, correct perhaps in some aspects, but generally unsupported by the facts. A study of over 750 soils from high performance greens, tees and fairways reveals that high quality turf is routinely produced on alkaline soils that range from a pH…