Generally speaking, you can get an idea of what your soil PH is by asking
your gardening neighbors what theirs is, or by observing what grows well in
your area and what doesn't. A big generality is that places with abundant
rainfall have acid soils and places that are arid have alkaline soils.
Sometimes these generalities are turned on their heads, as, for instance, in
the situation where a rainy area is also right over a limestone deposit. If
things like rhododendrons and azaleas are thriving in your area with deep
glossy green healthy foliage, the soil is acidic. If the rhodies all look
anemic, but people are able to grow great lawns and veggies, particularly
cabbages and the like, the soil is probably slightly alkaline. If the soil
is dark brown or black, and is crumbly, it is probably full of good minerals
and fertile. If it is sandy colored, or very light brown, it is probably
deficient in a lot of stuff and even after you add organic matter, it will
probably need some fertilizer if you want things to grow rapidly.
I have never checked my own soil, but it is generally known that the soil in
my area is nearly neutral. We grow rhodies and blueberries, but they are
never very happy in our area, and things like mountain laurel seem never to
thrive without TLC. On the other hand, the soil is rich volcanic soil, and
lawns, flowers, vegetables and other plants rarely need fertilizer or
amendments.
"AndyS" wrote in message
oups.com...
Andy writes:
Hi . I just "discovered" this group and have a question .

I see many versions of soil PH meters for sale from about $20 to $200.

Has anyone used these, do they work well, and are there any good
tips on operating them properly ??

Also, has anyone cross-checked their PH meter with litmus testing to
see if it continues to be reliable even after the sensors grow old ?

Thanks for any discussion on this.

Andy (retired engineer who just planted his first veg
garden)