parsnips – greenupside

Most plants like soil with a pH that is slightly acidic to neutral (6.0 to 7.0). However, there are some garden vegetables that can tolerate acidic soil with a pH well below 6.0. So, what are some vegetables for acidic soil? Vegetables for acidic soil include: carrots, cucumbers, eggplant, green beans, parsnips, peppers, potatoes, pumpkins, rutabaga, and tomatoes. Some of these vegetables can tolerate neutral or slightly alkaline soil as well. Of course, some of these vegetables can also tolerate neutral or slightly alkaline soil. Also, they may still survive outside of their ideal pH range, but they may not thrive. In this article, we’ll talk about 10 vegetables for acidic soil. We’ll also take a look at what they need for light, water, and other important growth factors. Let’s get started. 10 Vegetables For Acidic Soil There are lots of vegetables that can survive in acidic soil, but here is a list of 10 you can get started with: Carrots (pH 5.5 to 7.0)Cucumbers (pH 5.5 to 7.0)Eggplant (pH 5.5 to 6.5)Green Beans (pH 5.5 to 7.0)Parsnips (pH 5.5 to 7.0)Peppers (pH 5.5 to 7.0)Potatoes (pH 5.0 to 6.5)Pumpkins (pH 5.5 to 7.5)Rutabaga (pH 5.5 to 7.0)Tomatoes (pH 5.5 to 7.5) Let’s start with carrots. Carrots Carrot (Daucus carota) can tolerate acidic soil. In fact, the ideal soil pH range for carrots is 5.5 to 7.0 (somewhat acidic to neutral). Carrots grow best in acidic to neutral soil with a pH of 5.5. to 7.0. Carrot is a biennial vegetable that is often harvested for its long main root. The roots are usually orange, but you can find carrots of various colors. Carrots usually grow to a length of 2 to 12 inches long and up to 1.5 inches wide. The green tops (leaves) of carrots can grow up to 12 inches tall above ground. Carrot greens can grow up to 12 inches tall above ground. Carrot seeds take 6 to 10 days to germinate under ideal conditions: moist (but not soaked) soil at 65 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit (18 to 29 degrees Celsius). Carrots grow best in smooth, sandy soil. They may grow deformed in soil with roots, rocks, and soil clumps. Carrots prefer full sun and produce showy white flowers in late spring, summer, or early fall. They are a good option for high raised beds or containers that are tall enough for their long roots. Cucumbers Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) can tolerate acidic soil. In fact, the ideal soil pH range for Cucumbers is 5.5 to 7.0 (somewhat acidic to neutral). Cucumbers grow best in acidic to neutral soil with a pH of 5.5 to 7.0. Cucumber is a vegetable that is harvested for its long, thin fruit that grows on vines. The fruits are usually green, but you can find cucumbers of various colors. Cucumbers are usually harvested for fresh eating (salads, etc.) at a length of 6 to 8 inches and a width of 1 to 2 inches (this depends on the variety, though). Cucumbers are often harvested for pickling at 3 to 6 inches long. Cucumber seeds take 3 to 13 days to germinate under ideal conditions: moist (but not soaked) soil at 85 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit (29 to 35 degrees Celsius). Cucumbers grow best in warm soil, so consider using plastic over the soil until it warms up. This will give you an earlier start if you live in an area with a short growing season. Cucumbers prefer full sun and produce tiny yellow flowers. They sometimes produce flowers but no fruit (you can learn more about why that happens and how to treat it here). Cucumbers are a good option for vertical gardening when ground space is limited, or if you have a trellis, arbor, or pergola to decorate with plants. Eggplant Eggplant (Solanum melongena) can tolerate acidic soil. In fact, the ideal soil pH range for eggplants is 5.5 to 6.5 (somewhat acidic to slightly acidic). Eggplant grows best in acidic soil with a pH of 5.5 to 6.5. Eggplant is a vegetable that is harvested for its spongy fruit (which is technically a berry!) that grows on vines. The fruits are usually purple, but you can find Eggplants of various colors (including white, which originally gave the plant its name). Eggplants are usually harvested before they reach full size, since the skin can become quite tough when the fruit gets too big. Most varieties are 4 to 6 inches when harvested, though this depends on the variety. Eggplant seeds take 7 to 10 days to germinate under ideal conditions: moist (but not soaked) soil at 80 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit (27 to 32 degrees Celsius). Eggplants grow best in warm soil, so consider using plastic over the soil until it warms up. This will give you an earlier start if you live in an area with a short growing season. Eggplants prefer full sun and produce purple or white flowers. They are a good option for vertical gardening when ground space is limited, or if you have a trellis, arbor, or pergola to decorate with plants. Green Beans Green Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) can tolerate acidic soil. In fact, the ideal soil pH range for Green Beans is 5.5 to 7.0 (somewhat acidic to neutral). Green beans grow best in acidic to neutral soil, with a pH of 5.5. to 7.0. Green Bean is a vegetable that is harvested for its bean pods, which grow on tall vines (pole beans) or shorter bushes (bush beans). The pods are usually green, but you can find Green Beans of various colors (including purple). Green Beans are usually harvested before they reach full size, since the pods can become quite tough when they get too big. Most varieties are 6 inches when harvested – they will be just over 1/4 inch wide. Green Bean seeds take 8 to 10 days to germinate under ideal conditions: moist (but not soaked) soil at 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit (21 to 27 degrees Celsius). Green Beans grow best in warm soil, so consider using plastic over the soil until it warms up. This will give you an earlier start if you live in an area with a short growing season. Green Beans prefer full sun and produce white or yellow flowers. Green Beans (pole type) are a good option for vertical gardening when ground space is limited, or if you have a trellis, arbor, or pergola to decorate with plants. Parsnips Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) can tolerate acidic soil. In fact, the ideal soil pH range for Parsnips is 5.5 to 7.0 (somewhat acidic to neutral). Parsnips grow best in acidic to neutral soil, with a pH of 5.5 to 7.0. Parsnip is a biennial vegetable that is harvested for its roots, which grow underground (similar to carrots). The roots are usually cream colored. You can leave parsnips in the ground until late fall or even early spring the next year. Parsnip seeds take 10 to 21 days to germinate under ideal conditions: moist (but not soaked) soil at 35 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit (2 to 29 degrees Celsius). Parsnips prefer full sun, but they can tolerate partial shade. They produce showy yellow flowers in summer or early fall. Parsnips are a good option for high raised beds or containers that are tall enough for their long roots. Peppers Pepper (Capsicum) can tolerate acidic soil. In fact, the ideal soil pH range for peppers is 5.5 to 7.0 (somewhat acidic to neutral). Peppers grow best in acidic to neutral soil, with a pH of 5.5 to 7.0. Pepper is a vegetable that is harvested for its spicy hot fruit that grows on vines. The fruits are sometimes harvested when green, but you can also wait until they mature to yellow, orange, or red (there are also purple pepper varieties!) Peppers are usually harvested at a length of 3 to 7 inches, with a width of 4 inches. Pepper seeds take 7 to 21 days to germinate under ideal conditions: moist (but not soaked) soil at 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit (18 to 24 degrees Celsius). Peppers grow best in warm soil, so consider using plastic over the soil until it warms up. This will give you an earlier start if you live in an area with a short growing season. Peppers prefer full sun and produce small white flowers. They are a good option for vertical gardening if you have cages or stakes to support them as they grow taller. There are also some miniature pepper plants for growing indoors. Potatoes Potato (Solanum tuberosum) can tolerate acidic soil. In fact, the ideal soil pH range for Potatoes is 5.0 to 6.5 (somewhat acidic to slightly acidic). Potatoes grow best in acidic soil, with a pH of 5.0 to 6.5. Potato is a vegetable that is harvested for its tubers that grow underground. The tubers are often harvested at full size for long term storage, but you can also dig them up early to get “new” potatoes that are smaller with thinner skins. Potato seeds take 14 to 28 days to emerge from the soil when planted outside. Sprouting potatoes before planting gives you a head start on the growing season and ensures viability of the tuber. Potatoes grow best in cool soil, so plant them early in the season (about 4 weeks before last spring frost). You can find the last spring frost date for your area here. Potatoes prefer full sun and produce small white or purple flowers. They are a good option for container gardening if you have tall pots that allow room for both roots and tubers to grow. Pumpkins Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) can tolerate acidic soil. In fact, the ideal soil pH range for Pumpkins is 5.5 to 7.5 (somewhat acidic to slightly alkaline). Pumpkins grow best in acidic to slightly alkaline soil, with a pH of 5.5 to 7.5. Pumpkin is a vegetable that is harvested for its large fruit that grows on vines above ground. The fruit is often harvested at full size for long term storage, when it is large (up to 200 pounds!) and round (and usually orange). Pumpkin seeds take 3 to 10 days germinate under ideal conditions: moist (but not soaked) soil at 85 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit (29 to 35 degrees Celsius). Pumpkins grow best in warm soil, so consider using plastic over the soil until it warms up. This will give you an earlier start if you live in an area with a short growing season. Pumpkins prefer full sun and produce large yellow or orange flowers. They need a lot of space to grow, since their vines span a large area and their leaves will shade out some smaller plants. Rutabaga Rutabaga (Brassica napus) can tolerate acidic soil. In fact, the ideal soil pH range for Rutabagas is 5.5 to 7.0 (somewhat acidic to neutral). Rutabaga grows best in acidic to neutral soil, with a pH of 5.5 to 7.0. Rutabaga is a vegetable that is harvested for its roots, but you can also eat the leaves. The roots are often harvested when they are 2 to 5 inches in diameter. Rutabaga seeds take 4 to 7 days germinate under ideal conditions: moist (but not soaked) soil at 45 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit (7 to 29 degrees Celsius). Rutabagas prefer full sun and produce small yellow flowers. They need about 8 inches between plants (after thinning), with rows 18 to 30 inches apart. Tomatoes Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) can tolerate acidic soil. In fact, the ideal soil pH range for Tomatoes is 5.5 to 7.5 (somewhat acidic to slightly alkaline). Tomatoes grow best in acidic to slightly alkaline soil, with a pH of 5.5 to 7.5. Tomato is a vegetable that is harvested for its juicy fruit that grows on vines. The fruits are often red, but you can find a wide variety of tomato colors, from orange and yellow to purple, black, and white! Tomatoes are harvested when they are slightly soft when pressed lightly, or after the green (chlorophyll) gives way to other colors. Tomato seeds take 6 to 11 days to germinate under ideal conditions: moist (but not soaked) soil at 65 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit (18 to 29 degrees Celsius). Tomatoes grow best in warm soil, so consider using plastic over the soil until it warms up. This will give you an earlier start if you live in an area with a short growing season. Tomatoes prefer full sun and produce small yellow flowers. They are a good option for vertical gardening if you have cages or stakes to support them as they grow taller. There are also some miniature tomato plants for growing indoors (such as Tiny Tim). Conclusion Now you know about 10 vegetables for acidic soil, along with some basic information about how to take care of them. I hope you found this article helpful. If so, please share it with someone who can use the information. If you want to read some of my most popular posts, check out the “Best of GreenUpSide” page here. Enjoy! ~Jonathon