Resource library

Soil pH & Nutrient Availability

Drag the sliders to your soil pH and organic matter. See which nutrients tighten up — and identify candidates for foliar correction when soil-applied won't work.

Soil pH 6.5 Slightly acidic
4.05.06.07.08.09.010.0
Organic matter ?
4.0%
1%2%3%4%5%6%7%8%
About the OM modifier. Organic matter affects availability for some nutrients and not others. The slider adjusts N, S, P, Cu, Zn, and Mn bands based on widely-published effects: mineralization supplies N and S, organic acids help solubilize P, and chelation mobilizes Cu, Zn, and Mn. Other nutrients are unaffected. Treat this as a useful approximation, not a precise prediction — actual response varies with soil texture, biology, and OM form.
4.0–5.5
Strongly acidic — Al/Mn toxicity risk
5.5–6.5
Slightly acidic — broadly fertile
6.5–7.5
Near neutral — optimal range
7.5–8.5
Alkaline — typical Peace soils
8.5+
Strongly alkaline — many tie-ups
⟳

Rotate for the full chart

The availability chart is easier to read in landscape. The decision panels below give you everything you need in portrait.

At your current settings

Nutrient availability

    Foliar candidates

    Where soil-applied won't reach

    Drag the sliders to see which nutrients become foliar correction candidates.

      How to read this tool

      01

      Set pH and OM

      Pull both values from your soil test. Most Peace topsoils run pH 7.0–8.5 with OM around 3–6%. Set the sliders to your numbers.

      02

      Read the chart

      Each band shows availability across the pH range. Bands marked "OM" respond to organic matter. Other bands respond to pH only.

      03

      Use the decision panel

      Anything in the "tight" list is a candidate for foliar correction. The right side shows specific foliar options to bypass the tie-up.

      Important — this tool is for general information only

      The nutrient availability bands shown here are based on the classic Truog model (1948), refined in modern soil science textbooks (Brady & Weil, "The Nature and Properties of Soils"). This tool is provided for educational and general informational purposes only. It does not constitute professional crop advice, a fertilizer recommendation, or a prescription of any kind.

      Results vary significantly with soil texture, organic matter, CEC, moisture, biological activity, and the specific nutrient forms present in your soil. Do not make fertility or input decisions based solely on this tool. Soil and tissue testing, along with consultation with a qualified advisor who knows your fields, is always recommended before making changes to your fertility program.

      Landsense makes no warranty — express or implied — as to the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for a particular purpose of the information provided. Use of this tool is entirely at your own risk. Landsense accepts no liability for decisions made in reliance on this tool.

      Need to verify what's actually limiting?

      A tissue test confirms what the soil pH chart suggests. We coordinate testing through Hitek Analytics and stock the foliar micros, calcium, and biostimulants that bypass critical-window deficiencies.

      Talk to us