Thanks for these ideas Dave. I'll try not to think about them until spring, then get another pH test. We're committed to organic gardening but in this case I won't hesitate to use chemicals, if it means saving the h's and h's. (first time I've ever said such a thing).

The snow's finally gone. The heaths look good and are blooming. The heathers look dull and not happy. Just as forecasted...Isn't ammonium sulfate also a nitrogen/fertilizer, which this plant family dislikes? I have some alum (Potassium aluminum sulfate, I believe) on the shelf, could that cause aluminum toxicity?

I grow blueberries here in Madison, Wisconsin, and we have hard water, that is, our tap water contains dissolved limestone. There is a layer of limestone underground here, I think it covers all of southern Wisconsin. Blueberries require soil with a pH between 5 and 6, so our tap water is a problem when the shrubs need to be irrigated. I have had success by adding white vinegar (5%) that was bought at our local food market. This is standard white vinegar, nothing exotic. Using a pH meter, I determined that 6 fluid ounces of vinegar added to 4 gallons of tap water was about right. The blueberries seem to agree, they have dark green leaves, like they should, when the soil pH is correct.