Evergreen Conifer trees(cone bear) are acidic , but do not breakdown as acidic, 07.0 is considered Neutral on pH scale, but would raise my 5.0 or 5.5 pH
soil up 1.5-2.0 alkaline. Compost/humus is a wonderful thing & mother earth does a wonderful job, if we will work with her. I have found red wigglers in manure & pine straw, the acidic has to below from the rotten straw, worms will not reproduce or not reproduce well in high acidic bedding.
There is/was a thread on a garden site a few years back on making soil acidic for blueberry plants & a thread on pine straw lowering pH .
So this has been beat to death on many garden sites. I found sulfur to lower pH & lime to raise pH, Gypsum has calcium, but has less effect on the pH then lime. I always use the tablet or pill form, so I will not have to breath the harmful dust & no waste from wind erosion.
Worms are considered an invasive specie in the soils of most of Minnesota. When the last ice age occurred, all of the worms under the mile thick glaciers were killed. Worms do not move very far or very fast, so the worms we do have in Minnesota where either brought in by pioneers, fishermen, or birds. Worms are destroying the soil's organic layer in Minnesota forests.I also heard worms don't like pine needles,they cut them,not sure if its true but we stopped using pine straw years ago.
I find that surprising.Worms are considered an invasive specie in the soils of most of Minnesota. When the last ice age occurred, all of the worms under the mile thick glaciers were killed. Worms do not move very far or very fast, so the worms we do have in Minnesota where either brought in by pioneers, fishermen, or birds. Worms are destroying the soil's organic layer in Minnesota forests.
They are invasive for two reasons:Worms are considered an invasive specie in the soils of most of Minnesota. When the last ice age occurred, all of the worms under the mile thick glaciers were killed. Worms do not move very far or very fast, so the worms we do have in Minnesota where either brought in by pioneers, fishermen, or birds. Worms are destroying the soil's organic layer in Minnesota forests.
7.0Sorry we were talking about pine or Pinaceae family having acidic needles & will the needles make soil more acidic.
I say no, needle compost is 0.7 pH as someone stated above.
This should answer your question ==> EarthwormsI find that surprising.
My father had worm farm next to our house in Duluth to be used as bait.
Worm castings are super food for most gardening. They also aerate the soil.
It has been more than fifty years since we moved there but I want to say there a lot or pinewood forests.
I just don't get it why worms are damaging the organic layer.
Ben
Not to mention the very common ringneck pheasant....I am with Neb, I was shocked to find out common earth worms, honeybees, carp, snails & many common garden vegetables are from another part of the world. I learned this many years ago, now I am shocked by very little.
Enter your email address to join: