Remember, below 7 is acidic; above 7 is alkaline. The good news is that most home garden plants prefer soil that's a little on the acidic side, around 6.5. Exceptions include potatoes and rhododendrons, which thrive in 5 or 5.5, and many desert plants that grow well in soil having a pH of up to 8.0. (See chart below).
http://www.plantea.com/pH.htm
Most nutrients that plants need are readily available when the pH of the soil solution ranges from 6.0 to 7.5. Below a pH of 6.0 (acid): Some nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are less available. Above a pH of 7.5 (very alkaline): Iron, manganese, and phosphorus are less available.
http://www.plantea.com/pH.htm
Fortunately, a clever scientist developed the pH scale. It runs from 0 to 14, where neutral is right in the middle at 7.0. Less than 7.0 is acidic (sour) and more is alkaline (sweet). Lemon juice, for example, has a low pH of 2.0 while baking soda measures a high 8.5.
http://www.plantea.com/pH.htm
How the pH scale works Like the Richter scale that's used to rate earthquakes, the pH scale is not linear. The intervals between numbers is logarithmic, which means every number on the scale shows ten times less H concentration than the number below. Soil with a 5 is ten times more acidic than soil with a pH of 6.
http://www.plantea.com/pH.htm
The logarithmic measure of the acid-alkaline balance in water or soil is called pH. The most acidic solution is pH 1. A level of pH of 7 is neutral and a pH of 14 is the most alkaline solution. For several reasons the pH has a profound effect on the cannabis plants. Various plants live under different pH levels, they have adapted to this. In hydroponic solutions marijuana grows with a low pH of 5.5.
http://www.theweedblog.com/what-is-the-best-ph-level-for-marijuana-plants/
What's more, focusing on the pH level of our water is sort of besides the point. Because if alkaline water is helpful, that might be due to the minerals it contains rather than its pH level, per se. Also, keep in mind that overall body alkalinity isn't always a good thing.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-berardi-phd/alkaline-water_b_7762588.html
If you do want to give alkaline water a try, it can be confusing to figure out which waters are actually more alkaline. Here's a quick overview: · Essentia guarantees a pH of 9.5 (which is more alkaline). · Dasani ranges between 5.0-7.0 (which is neutral or more acidic).
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-berardi-phd/alkaline-water_b_7762588.html
· Aquafina ranges between 5.5-7.0 (which is neutral or more acidic). · Smartwater has a pH of about 7.0 (which is neutral). · Evian has a pH of 7.2 (which is more alkaline). In the end, bottled mineral waters tend to be alkaline. Non-mineral bottled waters are unlikely to be alkaline. And adding mineral powders to regular tap water can it more alkaline.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-berardi-phd/alkaline-water_b_7762588.html
The Acid-Alkaline PH Scale. As you can see from the chart above the PH Scale is read from left to right with a PH rating of 0 – 1 being purely acidic (something akin to eating a hole through metal). On the other end of the scale is a rating of 14 which represents pure alkalinity (these would include items like baking soda and lye). In the center is 7 which represents neutral. In a perfect state your blood wants to be more alkaline than acidic. Just as the average healthy body premature for a human is 98.6F – the ideal (healthy) PH level for the human body is between 7.3 – 7.4.
http://www.abundanthealthcenter.com/blog/the-acid-alkaline-ph-scale
A pH of 7 is neutral. A pH less than 7 is acidic. A pH greater than 7 is basic. The pH scale is logarithmic and as a result, each whole pH value below 7 is ten times more acidic than the next higher value. For example, pH 4 is ten times more acidic than pH 5 and 100 times (10 times 10) more acidic than pH 6. The same holds true for pH values above 7, each of which is ten times more alkaline (another way to say basic) than the next lower whole value. For example, pH 10 is ten times more alkaline than pH 9 and 100 times (10 times 10) more alkaline than pH 8. Pure water is neutral. But when chemicals are mixed with water, the mixture can become either acidic or basic. Examples of acidic substances are vinegar and lemon juice.
http://chemistry.elmhurst.edu/vchembook/184ph.html
what is best alkaline ph range
A level of pH of 7 is neutral and a pH of 14 is the most alkaline solution.