The pH scale rates the acidity of soils on a range from 0 through 14, with 7 being neutral, below 7 acidic and above 7 alkaline.The bulk of fruits grow best in neutral conditions with the ideal pH levels between 6.0 and 6.5. Tropical fruits may generally tolerate acidic soil better than other types of fruit trees. While no fruit trees thrive with very low pH levels, soil additives can increase the pH high enough to make it tolerable for fruit trees.
Lychee Tree
The Lychee grows to about 40 feet tall with its branches forming a complete round ball-like canopy. It grows best in soils with a pH of 5.0 to 5.5. Like most tropical trees, flowers sprout between December and April, with fruit produced from mid-May to early July. The pink Lychee fruit is best tree-ripened and grows in bunches. The edible center of this fruit is a juicy, slightly acidic white to transparent pulp. It includes a single seed pit in the middle of the pulp. The Lychee tree grows best in U. S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 and 10.
Guava Tree
Guava trees thrive in soils having a pH between 7 and 5. They grow about 20 feet tall and their branches span high and broad. Flowers grow singly or in small groups and are self pollinating, so just one tree is necessary to produce fruit. The guava fruit includes yellow to green skin with a seed-filled white pulp inside. The flavor varies greatly with the different kinds of trees and may be sweet and gentle smelling or pungent and acidic. The recommended USDA plant hardiness zones for Guava are 9 and 10.
Carambola
The carambola tree produces the distinctively shaped starfruit. Like the guava, carambola prefers soils with a pH level between 7 and 5. The trees grow 20 to 30 feet tall and the leaves are evergreen. They create pink to purple petaled blossoms that grow on individual tiny branches growing from a main branch. The fruits are best tree-ripened and have a candy to slightly acidic taste. Each fruit contains around 12 seeds which are entirely edible. The carambola thrives in USDA zones 9 and 10.
Mango
The mango is somewhat more tolerant to low pH compared to other possibilities, preferring a pH of no higher than 5.5. Mango trees grow up to 100 feet tall and have evergreen leaves. Little pink flowers grow in bunches. The fruit varies with the type of mango tree, but is a sweet and soft pulp having a somewhat acidic bite. Indochinese varieties produce green to yellow fruit, while Indian varieties produce the vibrant yellow to pink and red fruit sold in most U.S. markets. There is a single seed located in the middle of the pulp. The Mango may only be grown in USDA plant hardiness zone 10 and up.
Factors
Extremely low acidic soil isn’t great for the majority of fruits. Though some fruit trees may thrive in somewhat more acidic soils than multi-season fruits, they cannot be implanted in pH considerably lower than 5. Blueberries, although perhaps not a tree, would be the only fruit which thrives at pH levels as low as 4. If the soil around your tree is too acidic to plant appropriate fruit trees, liming is one method to correct the pH. Liming material rolled in to the soil increases the availability of nutrients like potassium and magnesium and raises the pH to acceptable levels.
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