"jo" wrote in message
news:jn3E9.6713$XN5.993183@wards...
Hi all. I have recently had my garden restructured (ie new beds dug, new
patio etc) and now have a blank canvass on which to grow. I bought a
soil
testing kit (from Homebase) to assess the pH of the soil and being very
careful not to contaminate my samples (I took 3 from different areas of
the
garden) I carried out the tests. All 3 samples showed a highly alkaline
result (a very deep turquoisey colour), which seemed strange as my soil is
very sticky and seems to retain water easily, which I assumed to be more
of
a clay consistency. I was under the impression that clay soils were
acidic.
So I tested the water I used for my soil tests and this gave exactly the
same deep turquoise. The water is from a water filter so I assumed this
would be fairly neutral. Surely the soil samples would have shown a
slightly different result to the 'pure' water.
I am completely confused by the conflicting textures and alkalinity of the
soil. Can anyone offer some advice?
Jo

Hi Jo,
The acidity / alkalinity of your soil has little or nought to do
with whether it is clay or not. I heard recently on a gardening prog that
distilled water is the best to use in order to find out what kind of soil
you have - apparently bottled water and so on can confuse your reading,
because the water you are using to mix up with the soil may be contaminating
your results. If all else fails, ask a neighbour with a nice looking
garden - they'll probably be delighted to share their knowledge (or lack of
it!)
Chris S