Michael,

Others have different opinions on this but I am not a fan of doing the injection method. It can harm your irrigation system. Read some past threads on injection methods. As far as the chemical side of it. Chat with your local chemistry teacher and/or college professor about what is the best/safest way to treat alkaline soils and bring the PH down. The best group to talk to is your local university or County agricultural extension service. Using agricultural grade sulfur compounds mixed in the soil was the most effective way for me to combat alkalinity. JMHO Aloha

Thanks Lehua: With the exception of the filter screen on my drip system, all of the system is plastic and would not be harmed by an acid. Probably the biggest threat is from emitters becoming plugged from the Ca precipitating on them; in that case, the solution is injecting a dilute acid commonly, haven't yet had the problem myself.

Unfortunately here in the middle of the great plains, the extension folk haven't a clue about much of anything besides the 4 major grain crops let alone drip irrigation. On the other hand, I have been in contact with an old friend from the U of FL who has been of some help so far, just thought I'd try asking folks here to help fill in the gaps as opposed to pestering him some more.

What little I remember from school and researching the topic does lead me to S additions to the soil in addition to composted manures. My intention is to stay with the additions and see if time will be on my side. It should be interesting knowing that each irrigation is working against me in the soil. Maybe I should pray for more rain :)

What would have been the smartest thing to do is select more drought tolerant root stocks for the fruit trees, thereby diminishing or eliminating the need for irrigation in the 1st place. I do learn, just slowly sometimes.

Thanks again.

Michael,

You have a great resource in the agronomy scientists in the mid-west. A lot of what we know about soils come from their financing and doing the plant/soil research. I am sure there is a ton of research on your soils on the web from the local farmers dealing with the same soil you have. The local knowledge is priceless. Talk to growers from your local Farmer's Market. JMHO Aloha

We agree that local knowledge is priceless. However, the crops grown here by the farmers growing them only have problems in the soils that are particularly bad. In the bad locations it is simply understood that crops won't do well there and there is nothing economical to be done about it; therefore, nothing is done. Farmers here don't soil sample or irrigate, never have, likely never will.

Sadly, the local extension office is pitiful to put it mildly. Having worked for an Extension Specialist in FL for many years, I know a good extension service when I see one. Even sadder, many states' funding for extension has been dropping and will continue to do so for years to come. I do appreciate your point however.

I am fortunate to have had my education at CSU in CO where the soils classes emphasized the western soils including calcareous soils or I'd probably be totally in the dark. It would have been handy if my soils classes would have also taught us about water/soil/irrigation issues like bicarbonates in irrigation water but they didn't and I'm left to educate myself on the matter. The link below from the U of FL has some very useful info on irrigation water bicarbonates and how to deal with them if you'd like to read it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bicarbonates

Michael,

Are there pine trees in KS. Compost pine needles. Just compost about anything(manure) and get it into your soil. This minimizes the need for adding sulfur. Forget injection to difficult, dangerous and you need to be exact with your calculations and doses. Take the easy road and enjoy gardening more. Sounds like you miss everywhere but KS. JMHO Aloha

No pine trees but wheat straw aplenty. The composting is certainly a good idea but I'd need a skid steer to generate enough as I'm heading toward being "OF&WO", that's old, fat and wore out :) With any luck I'll get a friend to use his loader to fill my pickup with aged manure from his winter feedlot and also amend with S. As I understand from my research however, even those 2 things may well not be enough to deal with the continually added bicarbonates from the irrigation water.

This Fall the poop and S will go on and I'll have the winter to get my ducks in a row on the acid injection if needed. From my preliminary research on the water chemistry, it appears that good old 5% acetic acid vinegar will work, tried a short test run with it through my injector setup to see if the delivered pH could be controlled to between 5.0 +- 0.5 and it worked. The obvious big advantages of vinegar are it's relative human safety and easy availability. As far as the difficulty, that is in the getting ready, which I enjoy doing being a horticultural scientist.

Thanks for the responses Lehual3, I certainly don't know everything and have been known to forget other things.

Re: enjoying gardening more, a timely comment for me this year as I have started doing just that by beginning to scale back the veggie production because the newer fruit production has added much to the gardening work load as a whole. The result, I wasn't enjoying gardening much, so.... WHAT'S THE POINT IN RUINING THAT WHICH YOU LOVE?

Really don't miss FL, way too hot and humid. On the other hand, I do very much miss the hot springs in CO every winter.

Michael,

Sounds like an annual "Hot Springs" pilgrimage situation coming on. Better than chasing storms and tornadoes. Don't understand your PH readings. Did you get reading s of 5.0 with a plus or minus 0.5 swings. That is extremely acidic and you could be wasting your fertilizer if the plant can't uptake the nutrients in that range. Your not getting too philosophical about this gardening thing are you? Are you a professional agronomist(farmer)? It is in the blood and definitely remains in our cultural heritage from primitive times. When I am gardening I am home. Aloha

Yep, the pilgrimage idea is a great idea, I could hop on Amtrack and ride it to the station right across the street from the Glenwood Hot Springs but, I'd get picked up and dropped off on this end at around 2:00 a.m.. don't do the late night thing well at all and would still have an hour drive to get home.

My readings were 5.0, the U of FL suggests keeping them in the 4.5 - 5.5 range wile injecting. Some other reading states that at 5.0, all the bicarbonates are being converted to CO2, as you go above 5.0 fewer and fewer bicarbs. are being converted. I believe the acidic pH will easily be buffered in my calcareous soil.

The professional horticulture was mostly in greenhouse ornamental production and vegetable crop nutrition research.
Gardening has been a hobby for many, many years, I just approach it from the angles of both a hobbyist and scientist and truly enjoy both.

"When I am gardening I am home." We are kindred souls in that respect. My neighbors must think I'm nuts siting out on the ground for an hour or 2 just pulling weeds, there is so much more to it than that.