How Do I Test Ph On My Plot?

[mungas]

Help, please!!! I think one of my plots has the PH out of whack!!! I was running the waste water out of the washing machine onto the garden last summer and, over time, realized it was seeping under one of my mullies. Washing powder is vey alkaline & I suspect that was why that plant was stunted ( thankfully I got over 3lb off the other!!! ). I tried to test the PH tonight with a poxy stick/paper test you'd use for a spa bath . Didn't work!!! SO.....how do I test the soil??? Your help will be greatly appreciated

[Mercury1600]

with a soil ph test kit?

 

http://www.organicsaustraliaonline.com.au/images/soilphtestkit.jpg

or a crude way would be take a sample of dirt. run some water through it and use some universal indicator to see what colour it turns. yellow = acidic. blue = alkaline. green = neutral.

Edited September 13, 2010 by Mercury1600

[mungas]

Thanks, Merc. Will head to bunnings 2morrow & see if they stock decent kits. Might have to dig down to where the action is & sample. Can you suggest what I can use to decrease the alkanlinity if that is too high? Cheers, mate!

[potrocket]

Or you can also use some water (3 cups) with a ph level of 6.5 in a bag and add 2 handfuls of soil to the bag ! Measure the soup mix for the ph level and this will tell you the ph of the soil tested !

[Elmer Bud]

Yep picked one up at bunnings couple of months back very handy when establishing a new plot.

[Mercury1600]

Just one example of many when i searched for "how to decrease soil ph"

 

Many ornamental plants and some fruit plants such as blueberries require slightly to strongly acid soil. These species develop iron chlorosis when grown in soils in the alkaline range. Iron chlorosis is often confused with nitrogen deficiency because the symptoms (a definite yellowing of the leaves) are similar. Iron chlorosis can be corrected by reducing the soil pH value.

 

Two materials commonly used for lowering the soil pH are aluminum sulfate and sulfur. These can be found at a garden supply center. Aluminum sulfate will change the soil pH instantly because the aluminum produces the acidity as soon as it dissolves in the soil. Sulfur, however, requires some time for the conversion to sulfuric acid with the aid of soil bacteria. The conversion rate of the sulfur is dependent on the fineness of the sulfur, the amount of soil moisture, soil temperature and the presence of the bacteria. Depending on these factors, the conversion rate of sulfur may be very slow and take several months if the conditions are not ideal. For this reason, most people use the aluminum sulfate.

 

Both materials should be worked into the soil after application to be most effective. If these materials are in contact with plant leaves as when applied to a lawn, they should be washed off the leaves immediately after application or a damaging leaf burn may result. Take extreme care not to over-apply the aluminum sulfate or the sulfur.

[mungas]

Merc you're a wonderful human being!!! This forum is soooo cool!!! Once again all one need do is ask & the answer is given freely. Cheers mate

[sargentscraps]

just to clarify, what is the optimum soil ph?

[potrocket]

just to clarify, what is the optimum soil ph?

G'day sarge, I always run mine at 6.5ph for seedling/vege stage and 6.8ph for flowering this helps for calcium uptake !

[Elmer Bud]

just to clarify, what is the optimum soil ph?

G`day Sarge

A PH between 6- 6.5 should be about right ,a cup of lime per hole is good to keep ph stable as it reacts with acids in the medium and buffers a falling ph, if things get a little salty . But sooner or later mother nature will throw some kind of spanner in the works an intervention is required, closley studying leaves and growth can reveal many potential problems before they become a full blown problem .Having a look at the tutes about pests and plant deff can have you fore armed .

Happy harvests

Elmer Bud .