Best way to test PH for soil????(Please tell us what you use and trust)

[Kuroth]

PH pens are for Hydro only correct??... Any suggestion of a good PH tester for soil?? I have a meter but I dont think it works really well unless you almost flood the plant before you take the reading(It says on the instructions to have the soil "muddy")..

I am in a Micro situation and still having problems finding a good,easy, fast and accurate way to check my PH in my soil..

Please let me know what you guys use and trust in..

Thanks!

 

[Row]

Soil ph testers/probs suck and like you say the soil testers only work when the soil is just waterd and then it will just tell you the same ph as what the water you just added was ph'd to.

I have tried two methods that seem to work fairly well.

First is to take a handful of the soil and put it in a tea strainer, then add 0ppm ph7 water (no buffering, so the ph of the soil will change the water ph easily) add the water slowly and only until the soil starts to drip, collect the (runoff) and test it with a ph pen. I found you can press the soil in the strainer to get a bit more run off with out adding more water and affecting the reading.

Or

Mix 1 part soil to 2 parts water let sit for a few hours and then test the water above the soil once it has settled.

Hope that helps

Row

 

[Row]

Heres another post about this

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=124511

I havent yet bought or tired it, but would like to and infact this remined me to get one.

Row

 

[Jnugg]

You can use expensive pH meters or you can go the inexpensive route and buy a GH Liquid pH Tester Kit for about $7 U.S.

All you need to do to check the soils pH:

1)Get some plain water with a pH of 6.5-7.0 (I like 7.0) or adjust if need be.

2)Get a bowl or something to catch the runoff water in.

3)water the dry soil very very very slowly.just enough to soak the soil.The reason you water so slowly is to give the pH 7.0 water time to react with the soil.

4)Collect only the first few drops of run off water.

5)if using a pH pen just check the pH of the runoff with it.If using the GH Liquid pH tester fill the little vile up halfway with the first few drops of run off water.Add 3 drops of the testing solution,close the vile and shake for 10 seconds,match the color of the water in the vile to the pH color indicator chart on the vile of testing solution.

6)if test results come back lower then the pH of the water (or higher) you just put in then you might need to adjust the pH up or down.

If you use plain pH 7.0 water and your run off results are 6.5 then your pH has only dropped a 1/2 point and no adjustment is necessary,however if the results from the run off come back as 6.0 or lower you need to adjust your soils pH by 1/2-1 point.

Ideal pH range for soil grows is 6.2-7.0 with 6.5-7.0 being optimal.

Adjust your soil as needed and then when you water or fert make sure the solution is the same pH as your soil,this way you can seriously cut down almost any pH swings.

 

[nigthdreamer22]

hi i use a soil ph testing kit from wilcos lol but use a smalle thin pipe to take a sample of soil qwite deep down but i do it softly so i dont damage too many roots

 

[poibear]

What do you do for an outdoor condition?

 

[chefboy6969]

how do you collect run-off water if it's in the ground? or as poibear asked what about outdoor applications?

peace
Chefboy

 

[FunkBomb]

If you have dolomite lime in your soil mix, there is no need to check pH.