Part of the basics of building a great soil is knowing if you have alkaline soil or acidic soil and treating it accordingly. Learn how to do PH soil testing at home and give yourself a general idea of soil pH using some basic supplies.
When you first move to a new home or are interested in why plants aren’t, the first thing you can check is the soil.
It is no secret that soil is the most important part of the garden. Not only does it create healthy plants and lead to end-of-mises, but it’s also packed with information that will help you grow a better garden.
Some plants root easily, while others require certain conditions. A basic home test can provide an indicator of what you are working for and whether there is a need for improvement. Drill into why it’s under your feet and see if the soil is falling too far towards alkaline or acidity.
I’ll cover this post…
What is soil pH?
In chemistry, pH (represents potential hydrogen) measures how acidic or alkaline it is. In this case, we are looking at the soil. This is based on a scale from 0 to 14, with pH considered neutral.
Values from 0 to 7 indicate that the soil is acidic, while 7 to 14 indicate that it is alkaline. It is very rare to see super high or low soil values. The soil usually has a pH of 4.5-9.
Why soil pH is important
To ensure that plants have access to nutrients, they must be able to soluble in water. Each of these nutrient ions has a preferred pH that the plant prefers to use them. If the soil is outside the pH range, the plant has no access to nutrients.
With a few exceptions, most plants do their best in neutral soils. All in the range 6.5 to 7 are considered neutral.
However, some plants thrive with sourness. Blueberry plants and rhododendrons prefer a pH of 4.5-5.5. Asparagus and sweet peas, on the other hand, are like alkaline soils, slightly more than 7. Knowing the acidity of the soil gives you some plants suitable for this area.
If you find your soil is too acidic, soil modifications can help you bring your soil into more neutral territory. But first you need to know what you started.
Therefore, learning how to test the pH of your soil is extremely important for your garden vitality.
How to do a soil pH test at home
Learning how to test the pH of your soil at home is easy and effective. You probably already have many of these supplies at home! Vinegar is acidic, and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) is alkaline.
Mix them and they burn. Using two soil samples from the same site in the garden will help determine the pH type of the soil by adding these materials.
material:
Distilled Water – It is important to use distilled water because it has a neutral pH. You can also try to use regular water, but it may affect the results of your tests. White vinegar (acid) baking soda (base or alkaline) bowl and spoon
Test the soil!
Scoop up a little soil from your garden area. Add 1 tablespoon of soil to a small bowl and mix with 1 tablespoon of distilled water. You’ll want to add enough to make loose mud.
Pour some vinegar into a bowl. When it burns, the soil is alkaline. As you can see, my soil pH test had no bubbles. This suggests that my soil is acidic.
To reconfirm the results, grab another tablespoon of soil from the same area in the garden. Next, wet it with water and mix again. Next, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of baking soda and mix. If it bubbles, the soil is acidic.
The second soil pH test made my soil burn. This means that the soil is acidic. If there is no collision in either test, there is neutral soil.
Certainly, there is no need to perform both tests to determine the pH of the soil. One is enough, but you can try both to see the results if necessary. To be honest, I already knew my soil was acidic, but in the name of garden science, I had to confirm!
You are armed with this basic knowledge of your soil, so you can help your plants thrive. Plus, you can use it to do cool things like changing the color of your hydrangea! Isn’t gardening science fun?
Frequently Asked Questions about soil pH Testing
Acid soils occur when the pH of the soil falls below 7. Symptoms of acidic soil include stunting, brown spots or discolouration, dead leaves, flower edge rot, leaf necrosis (the leaf tissue begins to break down), and brown leaf tips.
Clay soils tend to be naturally alkaline, ranging from 8 to 10 on the pH scale. Combined with poor drainage, this makes it difficult for many plants to grow. After performing a pH test of the soil to check the condition of the soil, modify the soil to add acidity and drainage to the clay soil.
If the soil’s pH is high, it is too alkaline. High pH means that certain nutrients become more soluble and therefore available to the plant. This causes nutritional deficiencies such as calcium, iron, copper, and phosphorus.
Alkaline soils can have similar symptoms to acidic soils, including brown tips, wilted leaves, leaf necrosis, flower edge rot, irregular coloring or spots.
Soil pH meters are useful for testing soil and moisture levels. They are fairly simple and provide relatively accurate measurements. However, home testing works the same way, and costs no. For very accurate results, we recommend specializing in the lab testing of the soil.
Good luck with your home test! Leave your PH-related gardening questions below.
More ways to improve soil
Do DIY soil pH tests at home
This simple soil pH test requires some simple consumables. Most of them will probably be at home! In a few minutes, you can check whether your soil is alkaline or acidic.
Scoop up a little soil from your garden.
Then add plenty of distilled water to the soil, resulting in loose mud.
Pour some vinegar into a bowl. If it bubbles, your soil is alkaline!
Empty the bowl and start again to reconfirm the results.
Again, scoop up the soil in a bowl.
Add water to create loose mud.
Sprinkle baking soda over the mixture. If it bubbles, your soil is acidic!
Debbie Wolf is the mother of two wild boys from Georgia, his wife and a working-from-home mom. In her free time (when there is something like that), she is in the garden or hides reading the latest apocalyptic sci-fi drama! In an interest, Debbie is an obsession, a home chef and gardener. She is a freelance writer, blogger and co-author and photographer behind the garden blog, the Wise Garden. A collection of tips, crafts and articles that highlight home gardening.
