Dominic-Luc Webb wrote:

Dan,

I welcome sharing thoughts with you regarding chemistry. My
background is more medical direction, but am always happy
to entertain chemistry discussions.

Warning: I am not plant expert. Soil chemistry seems to be
very well evolved science (many books), although, there is a lack
of basic instruments in most plant supply shops, such as
pH meters. They do not even sell litmus paper, usually. Following
the recent threads on tomatoes, which parallel my tomatillo
project, you would think soil pH meters would be more common
in plant shops. By comparison, plant shops have an endless supply
of thermometers, an item easily found pretty much everywhere.

I am curious, not being much of an expert in gardening, what
cool tricks gardeners have devised to measure soil pH? Dyes from
many flowers could be used, for instance.



I have some litmus paper here, but too course a range for what I want to
measure. Fooey on buying a pH meter, though I did come close to it
several years ago - new gadgets are almost always welcome here. One
would need a system of testing, if litmus paper were to be used, for the
soil - so much dirt (Using the old wine measurement balance) and so much
water, etc. I don't know how good the usual soil test kits are, will
Google that post-vacation. I could do that whilst eating some of the
local grown fresh tomatoes :-)

I intend to send a sample of soils I'm interested in using to the State
Agricultural Extension Agent for a pH determination and also ask what
(relatively) low cost choices might be available for pH measurements,
maybe using the same test kits we use for hot tub pH measurements. Any
more activity will have to wait until after vacation time, 6/11 - 27,
including Googling, which is starting to hurt my head, as I've also been
searching for a good flashgun to replace my glued together gun which
must be over 30 years old by now. Time to spend thinking about what to
pack, camera(s) and film, etc.

Until then, happy growing!