Ph reading?

I've just done a soil test on a bit of my garden I have dug up to make a vegetable plot which is heavy clay and it looks like it a Ph of between 7.0 and 7.5
An RHS book states that "garden soils normally fall between 4.5 and 7.5 but the ideal for vegetables is 6.5." It also states that it is possible to increase Ph but difficult to decrease it.
A very old Readers Digest book states is much more ambiguous.
Any comments would be welcomed.

 

7-7.5 is great I wouldnt do anything to alter that, pleany of organic matter to condition the soil and your away!

 

As a pH of 7.0 is by definition neutral - it looke like your soil is just right.

In general I think that trying to change the Ph of the soil in your garden is extremely difficult. You can do it for a pot, but a garden is a big place.

 

I think the science of PH can be taken far to seriously.

True there are acid loving plants and plants that like chalk soil, the opposite ends of the scale, but in general most plants, and particularly veg are fairly accommodating and anything around neutral will do them fine.

 

Im agreeing with you a lot tonight pete....absolutly right very few areas have soils either very high or low ph for the vast majority not a big issue, far too much importance is given to ph in gardening guides.

 

If your aim is to grow veg, you can bring the PH down by adding sedge, or dark, peat.:gnthb: