# High pH. How often to lower it?



## Alex_18 (Mar 9, 2019)

Got my soil sample results back today. I am in alkaline and need to lower my pH. How often do you apply a product to reduce the pH? I am going to be using Jonathan Green's mag-i-cal plus in the purple bag. Im not concerned with the rate or how much to put out, just how far apart do i split my 2 doses? Thanks in advance


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

You do not need to do anything for slightly high pH. You definitely don't want to add lime in the form of Mag-i-Cal. Lime will raise the pH more.


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## Ridgerunner (May 16, 2017)

bernstem said:


> You do not need to do anything for slightly high pH. You definitely don't want to add lime in the form of Mag-i-Cal. Lime will raise the pH more.


Confusingly, Johnathan Green makes a Gypsum product with the Mag-i-cal label which they advertise for lowering soil pH: "Mag-I-Cal® Plus for Lawns in Alkaline & Hard Soil." It contains 78% gypsum (42 lbs of the 54 lb bag which will do nothing for pH change, as you know), 6% Humic Acids -3.24 lbs (because HA is magic and everything needs to have HA these days), 1% Polyhydroxycarboxylic acid -.54 lbs (a long carbon chain molecule common to humic and fulvic acids. Sounds like a long complicated term, must be good for turf) and the last 15% is described as Ammonium Sulfate (so the product looks like it's doing something) and sulfuric acid - 8.1 lbs. https://kickgrasslawns.com/product/mag-i-cal-plus-soil-food-for-lawns-in-alkaline-hard-soil/
I agree: "You do not need to do anything for slightly high pH." But if he wishes to, he'd be far better off applying 5lbs per thousand square feet of elemental sulfur every 6 months and testing yearly.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Martin-Soil-Sulfur-50-lb-Improves-Soil-Structure/1000424601


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

@Ridgerunner I learned something new today. While I generally like Jonathan Green products, their naming conventions are just terrible.


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## Alex_18 (Mar 9, 2019)

@Ridgerunner thanks. Yes thats the one i was looking at. Thats why i specified the purple bag in the OP. I would like to lower it a little so i think ill try the elemental sulphur method you mentioned above


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