Soil testing
 

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

Soil testing
 

Nathan Heafner wrote:

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.

"large" is not an amount... large relative to what... a wheelbarrowful
won't do diddly to an acre of ground.

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.

I'd not bother with the cheapo kits, get something priced midrange.
If you bring samples most plant nurseries will test your soil for
free. Then see how their numbers compare to what your soil test kit
reads.

Soil testing
 

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

Soil testing
 

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.

Soil testing
 

Frank wrote:
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.

On your old papers, the OP hasn't got them and no doubt they still change
colour but how would you know if they are still accurate?

On using papers in general, you would have to add water to your sample of
soil to get the paper to work. Is the system calibrated to take that into
account with your local water or are you assuming deionised water is
available? How much water per given soil sample do you add and how does the
OP measure that? What is this talk of relative cost when there are no
numbers to compare?

Your suggestion might be fine but we don't know that. I would stick to the
system that was designed and calibrated for the purpose.

D

Soil testing
 

On 1/7/2013 3:54 PM, David Hare-Scott wrote:
Frank wrote:
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.

On your old papers, the OP hasn't got them and no doubt they still
change colour but how would you know if they are still accurate?

On using papers in general, you would have to add water to your sample
of soil to get the paper to work. Is the system calibrated to take that
into account with your local water or are you assuming deionised water
is available? How much water per given soil sample do you add and how
does the OP measure that? What is this talk of relative cost when there
are no numbers to compare?

Your suggestion might be fine but we don't know that. I would stick to
the system that was designed and calibrated for the purpose.

D


Some of the papers I have are very narrow range and contain two separate
indicators so you can tell pH down to 0.1 unit, far more than needed.
Distilled water would be best but I think tap water is OK and I just
slightly dampen soil before testing.

My soil and well water here in Eastern US are acidic. Well has pH ~6.5
and soil is even more acidic. I've dumped wood ashes on back lawn with
no problem and ground is still acidic.

If op lives in East, his soil is most likely acidic. I believe Western
soils tend to be alkaline.

Soil testing
 

In article ,
"David Hare-Scott" wrote:

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.

On your old papers, the OP hasn't got them and no doubt they still change
colour but how would you know if they are still accurate?

On using papers in general, you would have to add water to your sample of
soil to get the paper to work. Is the system calibrated to take that into
account with your local water or are you assuming deionised water is
available? How much water per given soil sample do you add and how does the
OP measure that? What is this talk of relative cost when there are no
numbers to compare?

Your suggestion might be fine but we don't know that. I would stick to the
system that was designed and calibrated for the purpose.

D

David, what is the name of the $25 pH kit?
PH papers may not be a bad idea, if this says what I think it says
http://shop.chemicalstore.com/naviga...ionID=10-92013
8590&id=PHPAPER114
at 80 strips for $6.25.
Amazon has a tempting pH meter for $68.99
http://www.amazon.com/Rittenhouse-82353-Soil-PH-Meter/dp/B0002F9AHM
but I don't think it can be calibrated.
More practical and more expensive is something like
http://www.groworganic.com/growing-s...il-ph-meter.ht
ml
at $129.00 .

Even with our Mickey Mouse money, 3.785 liters of deionized water costs
about a dollar.

--
Welcome to the New America.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA736oK9FPg
or
E Pluribus Unum
Next time vote Green Party

Soil testing
 

Billy wrote:
In article ,
"David Hare-Scott" wrote:

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.

On your old papers, the OP hasn't got them and no doubt they still
change colour but how would you know if they are still accurate?

On using papers in general, you would have to add water to your
sample of soil to get the paper to work. Is the system calibrated to
take that into account with your local water or are you assuming
deionised water is available? How much water per given soil sample
do you add and how does the OP measure that? What is this talk of
relative cost when there are no numbers to compare?

Your suggestion might be fine but we don't know that. I would stick
to the system that was designed and calibrated for the purpose.

D

David, what is the name of the $25 pH kit?

The one I have is Manutec, it's locally made, I don't know if they export or
if there are others in the US. It's about $22-$25 AU online. I have done
dozens of tests and the bottle is still 2/3 full. I cannot be more precise
about cost than that.

Burke's Backyard (a marketing organisation based on Don Burke's TV show)
sell one for $9-90, I don't know who makes it and I haven't tried it.

I am guessing it is basically the same technology as in universal indicator
paper but the liquid dye system is specifically set up for soil testing,
where the paper is aimed at water solutions.

D