4 ways to test soils PH

Method 1 of 4: Testing Soil pH  with a Commercial Test Probe.

1. Dig a small hole in the soil. Use a spade to dig a hole 3-5 centimeter deep. Break up the soil within the hole and remove any twigs or foreign debris.

2. Fill the hole with water. Use distilled (not spring) water. You can find this in your local pharmacy. Rainwater is slightly acidic , and bottled or tap water tends to be slightly alkaline. Fill the hole until you have a muddy pool at the bottom.

3. Insert the test probe into the mud. Make sure your tester is clean and calibrated (for a more exact measurement). Wipe the probe with a tissue or clean cloth, and insert it into the mud.

4. Hold it there for 60 seconds and take a reading. PH is usually measured on a scale of 1-14, though the tester may not include this entire range.

 •A pH of 7 indicates neutral soil.

•A pH above 7 indicates alkaline soil.

•A pH below 7 indicates acidic soil.

5. Take several measurements in different spots in the garden. A single reading may be abnormal, so it's good to get an idea of the average pH in a plot. If they're all around the same, take the average and amend the soil accordingly. If one spot is very different than the rest, however, you may need to "spot treat" it.

Method 2 of 4: Testing Soil pH Using Red Cabbage

1. Take a head of red cabbage and finely chop it using a knife or food processor. The solution created from the cabbage juice will change colour depending on the pH of what it comes in contact with.     

2. Heat distilled water until boiling. Using pure distilled water will give an accurate pH test result.

3. Add the chopped red cabbage to the boiling distilled water. Allow it to soak for about ten minutes and then drain the solid pieces out, leaving a violet hued juice. This juice should have a neutral pH of about 7.

4. Test the cabbage juice. Pour a small amount into two separate cups, and add vinegar to one cup and baking soda to the other. Vinegar is acidic, and should turn the solution hot pink. The baking soda solution is alkaline and will turn blue or green.  

5. Test your soil. Pour a few inches of the cabbage juice into a clean cup and add one to two spoonful of soil. Wait thirty minutes, and check the colour of the solution. •Purple or violet is a pH near 7, neutral.

•Pink means the soil is acidic with a pH between 1 and 7. The more acidic the soil is, the brighter the pink will be.

•Blue or green is a pH between 8 and 14, alkaline. The brighter green the juice is, the more alkaline it is.

Method 3 of 4: Testing Soil pH Using Vinegar and Baking Soda

1. Take a cup of soil from your garden. Put a few spoonful of it into two separate containers.

2. Add vinegar to one container. If it fizzes, it means your soil is alkaline. In that case, you do not need to proceed to the next step.

3. Add water to the other container of soil. You want enough that it becomes very wet and muddy. Pour baking soda into this cup; if it fizzes, it means your soil is acidic.

4. Check both soil samples again. If neither sample began fizzing, it means you probably have a neutral pH of 7. This is good, as this is the pH most plants need to grow in.

Method 4 of 4: Changing Your Soil pH

1. Make your soil less acidic. If your soil pH tested below 7, add lime or wood ash to the soil. Both are available at local gardening centres.

2. Make your soil less alkaline. If your soil pH tested above 7, add organic matter such as pine needles, peat moss, or decomposed tree leaves.

3. Change your soil pH to suit specific plants. For example, add wood ash to a certain area of your garden to endorse the growth of hydrangeas which prefer more alkaline soil. The pH of your soil does not need to be uniform your entire garden over; feel free to alter it to support different plants.