Many people come in with the the same question: My soil pH is alkaline, how can I change it? A quick solution is to move to Longview. In East Texas the soil is acidic. But for our area of Texas, this is normal. To add more acid to your soil, try elemental sulfur, aluminum sulfate or a liquid soil acidifier. Powder or granulated sulfur has always worked well for me. I will state that most of the time it is easier to plant well-adapted plants than change the pH of your dirt.
Vegetable gardens are the exception and are excellent areas to alter soil pH. The best way to go about altering the pH in a garden plot is to mix (till) 1 to 2 pounds of granulated sulfur into a 100 square foot area. It will take from 6 to 8 weeks for the pH change to take effect. Or, apply aluminum sulfate at a rate of 5 pounds per 100 square feet. Rinse off any plant foliage that may come in contact with aluminum sulfate.
I have always considered lawns and shrub beds not good choices for a pH change. The best practice is to use plants and grasses that are well adapted to this area. Fertilizers containing sulfur (Wells Brothers 16-20-0 and 28-6-6 along with Sperry’s 24-0-0) will help in the long term. Adding sulfur will work without tilling it in, but it takes a lot and it is a very slow change.
If you have individual plants that need extra acid, the liquid soil acidifiers work well. Remember to keep the mixture off the leaves and trunk of the plant. My home acidifier consists of a gallon bucket with about a cup of coffee grounds, a quart of household vinegar (2.5% acidity) and the rest water. Let it sit in the shade for a day and then water the soil around the plant. Don’t get any liquid on any part of the plant. This is a maintenance mixture and will not show quick results like a liquid acidifier.
Everything Dirt:
http://aggiehorticulture.tamu.edu/syllabi/325/schedule/Culture/Soils%20&%20Fertilizer/Soils%20&%20Fertilizer%20Lecture%206%20per%20page.pdf
