Lowering the Soil pH with Sulfur. … The cheapest way to lower the soil pH is to add elemental sulfur to the soil. Soil bacteria change the sulfur to sulfuric acid, lowering the soil pH. If the soil pH is greater than 5.5, apply elemental sulfur (S) to decrease the soil pH to 4.5 (see Table 1).

Can you put too much sulfur on soil?

Toxicity. Sulfur toxicity for practical purposes should be considered as non-existent. Excessive applications most often result in a depression of soil pH and an increase of the problems that occur with the pH decrease. In fact, sulfur uptake is reduced as the pH of the soil decreases.

Does sulfur soften soil?

According to West Texas A&M University, adding sulfur to clay soil is a way to break up the tightly packed soil. The structure of clay soil means that it is poor in nutrients and will not drain. Sulfur can also be used to lower the pH of alkaline soils.