On 1/6/2013 5:34 PM, David Hare-Scott wrote:
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

pH paper is about half this cost. I've got a couple of multi-range
papers left over from my lab days. They must be 30 years old and still
work.