I want to measure the Ph of my garden soil. B&Q have the little soil
testing kits, but they also have a Ph/Moisture Meter; an electronic gadget
with metal prongs that you stick in the soil and it takes readings. Does
anyone know if these are any good and do they give accurate Ph readings?

Thanks

"Marge" wrote in message
...
I want to measure the Ph of my garden soil. B&Q have the little soil
testing kits, but they also have a Ph/Moisture Meter; an electronic
gadget
with metal prongs that you stick in the soil and it takes readings. Does
anyone know if these are any good and do they give accurate Ph readings?

Thanks

Litmus paper gives you all the 'accuracy' that you really need and is much
less expensive than kits etc. HW

On Wed, 17 Sep 2003 08:38:43 +0100, "Marge"
wrote:

I want to measure the Ph of my garden soil.

err.. that's pH (minus log to the base 10 of the hydrogen ion
concentation)
--
Derek Turner

Outlook Express is worth precisely what you paid for it.


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Marge wrote in message
...
I want to measure the Ph of my garden soil. B&Q have the little soil
testing kits, but they also have a Ph/Moisture Meter; an electronic
gadget
with metal prongs that you stick in the soil and it takes readings. Does
anyone know if these are any good and do they give accurate Ph readings?
Thanks
The test paper kits are all you need to monitor your garden's pH. Just
moisten the dirt and press the paper to let the color develope.

On Wed, 17 Sep 2003 08:38:43 +0100, Marge wrote:

I want to measure the Ph of my garden soil. B&Q have the little soil
testing kits, but they also have a Ph/Moisture Meter; an electronic gadget
with metal prongs that you stick in the soil and it takes readings. Does
anyone know if these are any good and do they give accurate Ph readings?

Nit-Note: it's "pH", not "Ph".

Rather than buy an expensive and not-very-accurate machine, buy a
roll of pH testing paper (not just old-fashioned litmus paper).
You probably want the stuff that covers, say, from ph5 to ph8 or
thereabouts, not the full range stuff that goes from 1 to 14.

pH testing paper will pin your soil pH down to about half a unit,
which is more than accurate enough for horticultural purposes.

One roll of the stuff will last you for years.


--
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

I want to measure the Ph of my garden soil. B&Q have the little soil
testing kits, but they also have a Ph/Moisture Meter; an electronic
gadget
with metal prongs that you stick in the soil and it takes readings.
Does
anyone know if these are any good and do they give accurate Ph readings?

Mine has proved very useful ,,,, as a probe for singling seedlings. As a
means of determining Ph it was useless. I also have the B&Q moisture meter
which is even less useful - unless I take up knitting in which case both
will come in handy!

I want to measure the Ph of my garden soil. B&Q have the little soil
testing kits, but they also have a Ph/Moisture Meter; an electronic
gadget
with metal prongs that you stick in the soil and it takes readings. Does
anyone know if these are any good and do they give accurate Ph readings?

Thanks


I've got one of those B&Q pH meters. It seemed like a good idea at the time
when I bought it. However, it spends most time gathering dust. An amusing
gardeners toy for five minutes.
I did find out one interesting thing using it though. Areas of the vegetable
patch where I'd kept a composter were completely off the scale - very acid!
I guess this means I need to move the composter round more often or add lime
to the soil underneath afterwards.
--
Drakanthus.


(Spam filter: Include the word VB anywhere in the subject line or emails
will never reach me.)

I want to measure the Ph of my garden soil. B&Q have the little soil
testing kits, but they also have a Ph/Moisture Meter; an electronic
gadget
with metal prongs that you stick in the soil and it takes readings. Does
anyone know if these are any good and do they give accurate Ph readings?

Thanks


I've got one of those B&Q pH meters. It seemed like a good idea at the time
when I bought it. However, it spends most time gathering dust. An amusing
gardeners toy for five minutes.
I did find out one interesting thing using it though. Areas of the vegetable
patch where I'd kept a composter were completely off the scale - very acid!
I guess this means I need to move the composter round more often or add lime
to the soil underneath afterwards.
--
Drakanthus.


(Spam filter: Include the word VB anywhere in the subject line or emails
will never reach me.)

I did find out one interesting thing using it though. Areas of the vegetable
patch where I'd kept a composter were completely off the scale - very acid!
I guess this means I need to move the composter round more often or add lime
to the soil underneath afterwards.
--
Drakanthus.

Just out of interest, did you add lots of conifer clippings or something
similar to get such a result from the soil beneath your composter?

Dave

I did find out one interesting thing using it though. Areas of the
vegetable
patch where I'd kept a composter were completely off the scale - very
acid!
I guess this means I need to move the composter round more often or add
lime
to the soil underneath afterwards.
--
Drakanthus.

Just out of interest, did you add lots of conifer clippings or something
similar to get such a result from the soil beneath your composter?

Dave

No. Perhaps it was due to my homemade liquid compost accelerator :-)
--
Drakanthus.


(Spam filter: Include the word VB anywhere in the subject line or emails
will never reach me.)

Xref: kermit uk.rec.gardening:166910

On Sat, 20 Sep 2003 at 18:00:16 Drakanthus
wrote:

Areas of the
vegetable
patch where I'd kept a composter were completely off the scale - very
acid!
I guess this means I need to move the composter round more often or add
lime
to the soil underneath afterwards.
--
Drakanthus.

Just out of interest, did you add lots of conifer clippings or something
similar to get such a result from the soil beneath your composter?

Dave

No. Perhaps it was due to my homemade liquid compost accelerator :-)

Surely, that's alkaline?
--
Joe Farrugia, London