Home pH Testing of Soil

[Worth1]

I have no idea what my rainwater is other than it is contaminated with mosquitos.
Worth

[FLRedHeart]

"Dropping PH from 7.0 to 5.6 is what? Almost 150 times more acidic?"

25X more "acidic". However 7.0 is considered neutral which is what makes the scale "sensitive" around 7 ... Because it is 25X more acidic than a neutral solution. In common speech that is 25X nothing .

"the data showed we have been cooling for 18 years"

Atmospheric CO2 concentration is not being debated by anyone, not even the politicians. No need to discredit NASA rather than addressing what you think is wrong with the CO2 in our context. It is just measuring how much CO2 is in the air, just like oxygen is 21% we have an average CO2 in the air. Forget I mentioned NOAA, NASA or whatever agency if you don't like them. 400 ppmv CO2 is roughly the baseline growers find when they control the amount of CO2 their plants receive in efforts to boost production.

"I add acid to my rainwater, I need it at 5.5 and I have to add a lot of acid to bring it in line."
"I have also observed that in the winter when I'm not watering the soil PH creeps up to as high as 6.5. "

It sounds to me like you are using your rainwater as dilute pH down for your soil (Maybe I'm wrong about that), and not discussing the buffering capacity of rainwater which is nil unless it is being contaminated. It just seems like you are using the rainwater to deliver the acid to neutralize a soil with a lot of alkalinity and tends basic every time it rains. The latter is completely understandable and seems to me a reasonable technique way to deal with alkaline soils when growing acid-loving crops.

[MrsJustice]

Originally Posted by MikeBiondo

Hello folks...

Is there a way to test garden soil at home using one of the digital, pocket pH testers?

I have a Hach Pocket Pro pH Tester but am unsure how to go about turning garden and/or container soil into a liquid sample to test with the Tester.

I would imagine the pH of whatever liquid you would use to dissolve the soil would have to be taken in account when reading the pH that appears on the tester.

Thanks!

Mike

Hello Mike

The Student at Virginia Tech tested my soil for many year until I learned the Necessary Historical Natives Americans lay-out Farming Methods of my land and Mine-Farms. Both historical land masses are historical. My Husband took me too many different farm lands where I talked and learned from the Native and Natives reservations, even the Amish Communities. I am so Thankful to Virginia Tech students for helping me, while I research the soil.

If you can find colleges or university around you they will l help you. The Students at William & Mary also Helped me with many area of Researching Historical important of my properties for many years too.

Farmer Joyce Beggs

[MrsJustice]

Originally Posted by ChrisK

Yes, it is difficult to accurately measure the pH of pure water as posted above. Get some DI, RO or distilled water. Don't worry about trying to measure its pH before you add the soil.

Also, it would be better to calibrate your pH meter with two points that span the pH of your sample. e.g. pH 4 and 7 if your soil is acidic and pH 7 and 10 if basic.

Hello Chrisk

I just want to add that “It's also important that all arears of a garden or farmland be tested to correct or maintain your chosen levels of P. H. balance in your soil, because many different fruits and vegetables require different levels on the P. H. Scale. This is where I find a good soil tester “as Farmer Gold just as the Compost” also with testing all area of your farmer or garden on the same sunny day, than again on rainy days will give you a better understand to begin correcting or achieving the P. H. Balance you want to archive.

Farmer Joyce Beggs