Do hickory trees make soil acid or alkaline?

Answer 1

Probably acid. Like most leaf litter from deciduous, semi-, or evergreen, the leaves will pile up and break into smaller pieces, forming a rich 'humusy' topsoil. If you have ever removed something that was on top of dead leaves and noticed how dark, wet, and decomposed they were...that is kind of what happens to leaves at the bottom of a layer of leaf litter. Twigs, bark, flowers, fruits, and nuts can count too, and add to the enrichment of topsoil, which is one of the things great about trees in many situations, especially where drought is involved. The exception is that burned wood ashes will make soil alkaline. So if you used wood in a barbeque or woodstove, the ashes can be added to balance the soil acidity (pH). It is supposed to be very potent and used sparingly, only if needed in very wet acid conditions. Hickory is good for fuel, smoking, flavor,etc.

Answer 2

Hickory trees typically prefer slightly acidic to neutral soil pH levels. While they may not drastically alter the soil pH themselves, the fallen leaves and bark can contribute to a slight decrease in pH over time as they decompose.