Long Island Soil Acidity: Why You Must Test Before Liming

A Woodmere gardener asks if South Shore soil is generally acidic and whether to lime routinely. The Long Island Gardener says: don't guess—test. North Shore and South Shore have vastly different glacial histories. South Shore soils are sandy, low in organic matter, and pH varies wildly. Liming blindly can lock out nutrients.

Analogy: baking a cake without checking the pantry. A soil test (Cornell or Suffolk CCE) reveals pH, nutrient levels, cation exchange capacity, and tailored recommendations. It's the single most important step for tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs—any crop.

Over-fertilizing without a test causes nutrient antagonism (e.g., excess calcium blocks magnesium). Test first, amend precisely.