The first step in planting food plots for wildlife, or for growing vegetables or flowers, is to know your soil pH.  pH is a measure of soil acidity or alkalinity.  A pH of 7.0 is considered neutral.  As you go above 7.0 it becomes more basic or alkaline; below 7.0 becomes more acidic.  The pH level of your soil determines how well your plants are able to use the nutrients in the soil.  Low pH soil can have high concentrations of aluminum, iron, and manganese which may be toxic to the growth of some plants.  As a result many people have failed in trying to establish food plots or gardens in soils that are out of the acceptable pH range for the plants they are trying to grow.