Nathan Heafner wrote:
Hello,
I have a large pile of ash from burning leaves, wood, limbs, pine
straw etc, and I've read that ash can be helpful to plants if my soil
ph is not over 7.5.

My questions is, how do you test your soil and what tools are used.

Im looking to test my soil soon and see some cheap and expensive
testing kits on amazon.

thanks

The best method that will give a reliable result of sufficient accuracy at a
reasonable price is a dye indicator kit. You mix a soil sample with some
dye and observe the colour against a white background, or with white powder
puffed on to it. You compare the colour to a chart and it will give the
soil pH to withing half a unit. It is easy to do even if you have somewhat
impaired colour vision (which is the case with about 8% of males). If you
are severely colour blind you are out of luck but that is rare and you would
already know that you have the condition. One kit that has all you need
will do several hundred tests and costs about $25 here, the price may be
different where you are.

Cheap electronic probe systems are inaccurate and expensive ones are
accurate but fiddly to use and fragile.

David