Soil test kits

[Gardening with Rabbits]

The kits like you see in Lowes or ACE, are they very accurate or worth using? I have used them in the past, but I was not sure I did it right. If you follow the directions and do it right, is it worth doing?

 

[seedcorn]

1). How much are they vs sending to lab?
2). I’d rather spend money on manure than test. Manure is soils wonder cure....
3). Most problems are pH. I bought a cheap pH meter (kind you use on pools). Take an old jar (I went first class and use an empty peanut butter jar-not just any jar but Jiffy or was it another brand?) put soil in 1/3 way up, fill with distilled water to double amount. Shake, let settle, insert probe, it will give you a decent ball park.

 

[flowerbug]

1). How much are they vs sending to lab?
2). I’d rather spend money on manure than test. Manure is soils wonder cure....
3). Most problems are pH. I bought a cheap pH meter (kind you use on pools). Take an old jar (I went first class and use an empty peanut butter jar-not just any jar but Jiffy or was it another brand?) put soil in 1/3 way up, fill with distilled water to double amount. Shake, let settle, insert probe, it will give you a decent ball park.

if you grow red cabbage you can use red cabbage juice as a rough indicator. i think there are some other natural and cheap methods too for showing pH, but that is the one i know of for sure.

in the ancient times people would actually taste the dirt.

my own agreement here is with @seedcorn on the adding organic matter as it will adjust the pH towards neutral or slightly acidic (depending upon the rest of the soil's composition and your area). it is really hard to shift a large area over the long term. growing things and putting most of that organic material back on the surface and into the ground will often be good enough.

if you have trace nutrient problems often you can diagnose those by observing what plants do well and those that don't and then researching on-line or asking here.

i've never tested the soil in any of the gardens here. there's too many and too many different conditions for such tests to be worth the expense. i see over the years the gardens improve and the plants do better as i am able to work on and bring more organic materials in or to use the worm compost/worms (which is my primary fertilizer for the heavyest feeding crops we plant).

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

Thank you, manure it is then. I am so far behind that I don't have time for testing. I just need to get things in the ground now.

 

[seedcorn]

PH is very Important. Use of meter is very easy, quick and fairly accurate. Nutrient tests are more for those that add commercial fertilizer so you don’t get your balance out of wack or apply more than soils can hold.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

I was pretty sure I had a pH tester bought 10 years ago and after you said how to use a jar and your directions, I knew I never did it correctly. I looked on line for the directions for mine, Rapitest Mini pH tester. I used tap water though, but I tested it with some vinegar added to the water and it when down to about 5. I tested where I plan to plant kale and it was almost 7 and where I will plant Swiss chard was 6.8 maybe and where I want to plant tomatoes I tested in 2 places, one was about 6.8 and the other was maybe 6.6, not digital, so only guessing.

 

[seedcorn]

Initial water needs to be 7. Our well water tests at 8.2.....