Soil Acidity (pH)
It is well known and well studied that succulents and cacti thrive best in neutral to slightly acidic (pH 6) soil. While it is not necessary to go out and buy a pH meter or litmus paper to find out your soil's acidity, it may be useful for you to understand how your succulent functions so you can make wise purchasing decisions. On this segment of Succulent Science, we will be exploring the concept of pH and how it relates to succulent soil. Some key words: acidic - like lemons, pH <7 alkaline - basic, pH >7 ion - atom or molecule with a net charge that is positive or negative. cation - a positively charged ion, for example H + or Na + (sodium ion) anion - a negative charge ion, OH - (hydroxide ion) or Cl - (chloride ion) Basics of Water Equilibrium When you have a glass of pure water, it isn't actually just H 2 O, in fact, it is a mixture of H + cations and - OH anions. The water dissociates spontaneously, meaning that nothing has to be do...
