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Have you even thought of how to test Soil PH at home without any expensive gadgets and Do you know the importance of soil PH for plant growth and yield? In Today’s post, we will look into 3 easy methods and hacks for garden soil PH testing at home and discuss the importance of ideal soil PH for plant growth and yield.
Why Soil PH is Important?
Sunlight, water, nutrients—these are the basic requirements for plants to thrive. But did you know that your garden soil has another crucial requirement that can determine whether your plants thrive or struggle to grow? It’s a soil property called pH, and an ideal range of soil pH is indispensable for proper nutrient absorption by the roots. Most plants need a pH between 6 to 6.5 for the best growth, though some acid-loving plants need a lower pH.
Now, let me demonstrate 3 easy ways to test your soil pH at home.
The First Method: Using Litmus Paper
This is simple school chemistry and not expensive. You can buy this simple litmus paper kit at any stationery store or even online. This is just litmus paper with a color chart showing a pH value for each color that matches your test result. pH of 7 is neutral, pH below 7 is acidic, and above 7 is alkaline. The most important thing is to use distilled water for all these tests you conduct because the pH of distilled water is neutral.
How to Test Soil PH Using the Litmus Paper Method
- Collect one tablespoon of soil from your garden, either from a container or from the ground. You can take the soil from a little deeper, like 2 inches below the soil.
- Add an equal amount of distilled water – that’s a 1:1 ratio. We are taking distilled water because it has a neutral pH of 7. You can also take water from your water purifier, test it with litmus paper first. If it’s neutral, you can use it but only if distilled water is not available. Distilled water is easily available in big cans and also in medical stores in small 5 or 10 ml packs that are used for medicine reconstitution. So, for 1 tablespoon of soil, you would add 1 tablespoon of water.
- Now nicely mix this by stirring for a few seconds.
- Let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Start stirring the sample again and now dip the litmus paper to take your measurement. Wait for a few minutes for the color change and then match it with the color coding chart that came along with your litmus paper kit.
Pros of this method: It’s easy to use and inexpensive.
Cons of this method: It’s sometimes difficult to read or match colors, so, loss of precision.
The Second Method: A Rough and Easy DIY Method
This is a rough and easy DIY method you can try at home to know whether your soil is acidic or alkaline.
How to Test Soil PH Using the Vinegar and Baking Soda Method
- Take a small amount of soil from your garden or container in a small glass.
- Pour some vinegar into this soil sample. If it fizzes and bubbles, you have alkaline soil because the alkaline content in the soil reacts with acid like vinegar, which is chemically acetic acid.
- Take another soil sample from your garden. Here for demonstration purposes, I know that this is acidic soil. Now add one or two teaspoons of baking soda and mix it with the soil.
- Then wet the soil-baking soda mix with distilled water. If it fizzes and bubbles, your soil is acidic because the acidic content in the soil reacts with a base or alkaline stuff like baking soda. That’s it!
The Third Method: Using Soil pH Testers
Which one to choose: manual types or digital soil pH testers? These are easy-to-use portable gadgets with probes to insert into the soil. These give instant readings. But these manual type of probe testers are not so reliable, but they are inexpensive and handy. The digital testers are more accurate but expensive.
This soil testing is fun, and you can share this with your kids to teach them simple science or chemistry.
Please Watch a detailed video demonstrating how to test soil PH for home garden soil.
