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How do i test soil ph


Soil Testing: How to Test Your Garden Soil

Success in the garden starts with healthy soil. Soil—as much as water and sunlight—determines whether plants thrive or die. Getting a soil test is the best way to find out your soil pH and soil health. Learn more about how to get a soil test—plus, learn three DIY soil tests.

Why Get a Soil Test?

Your soil needs to be able to provide nutrients to plants. Otherwise, your plants just won’t grow well. Having the right soil pH (level of acidity) means your plants can take up the necessary nutrients in the soil. If your pH is too high, many nutrients such as phosphorus and iron may become less available; if your soil pH is too low, it can be toxic to plants. Without healthy soil, it is very difficult to have a successful garden.

Another reason we test the soil is because we won’t need to rely on fertilizing the soil too much. If you start with healthy soil, you won’t need so much “fixing.” Before you start dumping on the lime and fertilizers, your first step should be taking a soil sample to send off for testing.

What Will a Soil Test Measure?

A good soil test will evaluate the basic texture of your soil—sand, silt, or clay—and determine its acidity—the pH level. The available amounts of nutrients, including magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium, will be calculated and recommendations will be made for raising each to the correct levels for optimum plant growth. Armed with this knowledge, you can make the proper improvements. Too much of a good thing can be just as harmful as too little so let your soil test be your guide.

How Often Do You Do a Soil Test?

For optimum plant growth, it is recommended to test your soil pH and nutrient status every 3 to 5 years. You can take soil samples at any time of the year, with fall being preferable. That way, you can get your results and make any fixes in time for spring. 

Where to Get a Soil Test

Home test kits are available at gardening centers; they are not as accurate or thorough as professional testing through your local county extension office. And the good news is that your county extension soil test is usually free or low cost. Here’s a list of cooperative extension services by state.

How To Take a Soil Test

Reading Test Results

When you get your test results, the fertilizer recommendations will be quite specific, and speak to three elements: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

  1. Nitrogen: N stands for nitrogen, which helps plants make leafy growth. For nitrogen, they will tell you how much manure or compost to use. If you are using fresh manure, spread it on in the fall so it can break down over the winter and be safe for spring planting. If you prefer, dried blood, alfalfa, soybean, or cottonseed meals can be substituted. Nitrogen is released quickly from them, so it is best to wait until spring to add it to your soil. Ten pounds of blood meal supplies the same amount of nitrogen as 10-20 bushels of manure, but without the added benefit of all the organic matter that manure contains.
  2. Phosphorus: P stands for phosphorus, which is necessary for germination, strong root growth, flowers, and fruit. It helps plants absorb minerals, grow strong stems, and withstand disease. Rock phosphate provides phosphorus, magnesium, and trace minerals. Rock powders are wonderful soil enhancements. They are slow acting but long lasting, so they need to be applied only every 3 to 4 years. Bone meal and bone char are more readily available sources of phosphorus.
  3. Potassium: K stands for potassium or potash. It regulates the flow of water in plant cells and is necessary for flowering, fruiting, and disease resistance. A lack of potassium will cause plants to have weak stems and stunted growth. For added potassium you can use granite dust or greensand which is made from glauconite, an ocean mineral high in potassium and iron. Wood ashes are also high in potash.

→ See more about NPK Ratios and what this means.

3 DIY Soil Tests

To learn more about your soil and its health, here are three DIY soil tests covering 1) your soil’s texture, 2) soil pH, and 3) soil health.

Soil Texture: The Peanut Butter Jar Test

Find out what kind of soil you have! Healthy soil typically consists of 20 percent clay, 40 percent silt, and 40 percent sand. This should take about 1 hour to set up and a full day to conclude. Find an empty straight-sided jar, such as a peanut butter or mason jar, with a lid, and have a ruler handy. Dig down to root level—about 6 inches—in the area that you want to test and remove enough soil to fill the the jar to between one-third and one-half full. Next, fill the jar to the shoulder with water, then set the jar aside to let the soil soak up the water. Put the lid on the jar and shake it hard for about 3 minutes.

  1. Set the jar down and look at your watch. In 1 minute, measure (with the ruler) the amount of sediment that has collected at the bottom. This is the sand in your soil.
  2. Wait 4 minutes more. Measure the sediment again: The difference between the two numbers will be the amount of silt in your soil. 
  3. Take a third measurement in 24 hours. The difference between the second and third number will be the amount of clay in your soil. 

Calculate the percentages of sand, silt, and clay, which should add up to 100 percent. Nice, loamy soil will be 20 percent clay, 40 percent silt, and 40 percent sand. This simple test can help you to decide what to grow: If your soil is high in sand, it will be well-draining. Silt and clay are hard to get wet, but they stay wet; plants that like “wet feet” would be happy here. Choose your plants accordingly and/or amend the soil:

→ Learn more about soil amendments and preparing the soil for planting.

Soil Acidity or Alkalinity: The Pantry Soil pH Test
  1. Place 2 tablespoons of soil in a bowl and add ½ cup vinegar. If the mixture fizzes, you have alkaline soil.
  2. Place 2 tablespoons of soil in a bowl and moisten it with distilled water. Add ½ cup baking soda. If the mixture fizzes, you have acidic soil.

Once you figure out your soil pH, you can change or adjust it. Acidic (sour) soil is counteracted by applying finely ground limestone, and alkaline (sweet) soil is treated with ground sulfur.

→ See a list of Soil pH levels for different plants.

Soil Health: The Earthworm Test

The best time to check for earthworms is in the spring when the soil’s temperature has reached 50°F and its surface is moist. Use a shovel to dig up about 1 cubic foot of soil. Put the soil on a piece of cardboard, break it apart, and look for earthworms.

If your soil is healthy, you should find at least 10 earthworms! If your soil has fewer than 10 worms, add more organic matter—compost, aged manure, leaf mold. Organic matter improves structure, slowly releases nutrients, and increases beneficial microbial activity.

→ Learn more about the wonderful world of earthworms.

Use these DIY tests to gauge the overall health of your soil, but for more granular information, be sure to order a proper soil test as described above!

How to Conduct a Soil pH Test

By

Marie Iannotti

Marie Iannotti

Marie Iannotti is a life-long gardener and a veteran Master Gardener with nearly three decades of experience. She's also an author of three gardening books, a plant photographer, public speaker, and a former Cornell Cooperative Extension Horticulture Educator. Marie's garden writing has been featured in newspapers and magazines nationwide and she has been interviewed for Martha Stewart Radio, National Public Radio, and numerous articles.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

Updated on 04/24/22

Reviewed by

Debra LaGattuta

Reviewed by Debra LaGattuta

Debra LaGattuta is a gardening expert with three decades of experience in perennial and flowering plants, container gardening, and raised bed vegetable gardening. She is a Master Gardener and lead gardener in a Plant-A-Row, which is a program that offers thousands of pounds of organically-grown vegetables to local food banks. Debra is a member of The Spruce Gardening and Plant Care Review Board.

Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board

The Spruce/Claire Cohen

In This Article

Project Overview

As a home gardener, it's important to test soil pH because certain plants have specific pH requirements and won't thrive unless the soil pH falls within a particular range. pH measures the level of acidity in the soil and it affects a plant’s ability to absorb nutrients. If the soil pH level falls outside of a plant's recommended range, all the plant food and fertilizer in the world won’t help -- the plants can’t absorb nutrients.

Technically speaking, a soil pH test measures how many hydrogen ions are in the soil. On a scale of 1 to 14, a pH less than 7.0 is acidic, 7.0 is neutral, and anything higher than 7.0 is alkaline. Acidic or alkaline soil isn't necessarily bad; it all depends on the plants you're growing. Most plants can adapt to soil pH ranges from 6 to 7.5, but some plants have distinct requirements. For instance, blueberries require acidic soil in the range of 4.5 to 5.5 to produce berries while lavender tends to do best in alkaline soil about 8.0.

Identifying and Fixing Plant Nutrient Deficiencies

When to Conduct a Soil pH Test

Testing your soil's pH should be an item to include on your fall garden task checklist. Testing pH in the fall enables you to take steps to correct the pH before the next spring planting season. And, fall is a good time to note any weeds that have grown throughout the summer, which can also give you clues about your soil pH. For instance, dandelions, wild strawberries, and plantain proliferate in acidic soil while chickweed, Queen Anne's lace, and chicory favor alkaline soil.

Performing a soil pH test in the fall gives you plenty of time to plant a nitrogen-fixing cover crop (for mild winter climates) or to revise next year's planting plan to suit the pH reading. In the case of alkaline soil, you can lower the pH by adding organic materials, such as peat moss. Acidic soil can be neutralized by adding lime. The type and quantity of soil amendments depend on how much the pH needs to be raised or lowered.

Learn How to Conduct a Soil pH Test

Equipment / Tools

Materials

Testing pH Using Kitchen Supplies

An acidic solution generally reacts when it's added to something basic. You can use vinegar (acidic) and baking soda (basic) for a do-it-yourself quick pH reading of your soil. This do-it-yourself test will reveal whether the soil is relatively acidic or alkaline and is recommended for those who have healthy gardens that might benefit from a little more targeted care.

Note

Soil testing labs provide more complete and accurate results than do-it-yourself home methods. Soil testing labs provide a complete analysis of soil composition including percent of organic matter and major and minor nutrients as well as pH level.

  1. Dig for a Soil Sample

    Using a hand trowel, dig four to six inches below the soil surface to obtain a soil sample. Dig in several locations in your garden bed to obtain an average soil sample representative of the area.

  2. Clean the Soil

    Remove stones, sticks, and other debris from the soil. Be sure to break up any large clumps.

  3. Add Soil and Water Together

    Place approximately one cup of soil into a clean glass container, and add enough distilled water to turn the soil to mud.

  4. Add the Vinegar

    Add 1/2 cup of vinegar and stir the mixture. If the soil fizzes, foams, or bubbles, your soil is alkaline.

  5. Repeat the Process if No Bubbling Occurs

    Take a soil sample, clean it of debris, place it into a clean container, and use distilled water to turn it into mud.

  6. Add the Baking Soda

    Add 1/2 cup of baking soda and stir. If the soil fizzes, foams, or bubbles, your soil is acidic.

Testing pH Using Soil Strips

Testing with vinegar and baking soda can indicate which end of the pH scale your soil is leaning. But for an exact measurement, a soil pH testing kit provides more definitive results. You can purchase testing kits at most garden centers and through local cooperative extension offices.

  1. Dig for a Sample

    Using a hand trowel, dig four to six inches below the soil surface to obtain a soil sample.

    The Spruce / Almar Creative

  2. Collect the Soil

    Place one to three teaspoons of soil in a clean glass. Remove sticks, stones, and other debris.

    The Spruce / Jayme Burrows

  3. Pour in Distilled Water

    Fill the glass with distilled water to the same level as the soil sample.

    The Spruce / Jayme Burrows

  4. Agitate the Soil

    Vigorously stir or swirl the mixture. Let the solution rest for 30 minutes.

    The Spruce / Jayme Burrows

  5. Drain the Sample

    Pour the soil sample through a coffee filter and into another clean glass. Make sure that you are capturing the solids and allowing the liquid to pass through.

    The Spruce / Jayme Burrows

  6. Use the pH Test Strip

    Dip the test strip into the liquid. Pay close attention to the instructions on how long to leave the strip in the liquid. When the strip turns color, compare the color to the chart on the manufacturer's packaging to determine the pH.

    The Spruce / Jayme Burrows

  7. Repeat the Process

    Repeat the process several times with samples from different parts of your garden to determine an average pH.

    The Spruce / Jayme Burrows

Soil pH Testing Tips

If you test your soil using vinegar and baking soda and neither test produces much of an effect, your soil is probably in the neutral range. No further testing is needed.

You can mix soil from several different samples of a small garden for the vinegar-baking soda test. However, if you have a large garden, it is better to test several samples separately.

If it's difficult to successfully grow anything in your garden beds or your lawn is not thriving, it's best to send a soil sample to a professional soil testing lab to obtain a complete soil analysis. Based on the test results, the experts will make specific recommendations for soil amendments.

How to Improve Garden Soil With Amendments

Article Sources

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Soil Testing. University of Maryland Extension Website

  2. Soil testing and soil testing labs. Umd.Edu.

  3. Reducing Soil PH. Wisconsin Horticulture.

  4. “Soil Sampling Instructions.” Rutgers.Edu, https://njaes.rutgers.edu/soil-testing-lab/pdfs/home/Home_and_Landscape_-_Soil_Sampling_Instructions.pdf

  5. Soil Testing Laboratory. Rutgers.Edu.

How to determine the acidity of the soil at home?

June 3 2020

Plants need a certain soil acidity. Some crops are suitable for slightly acidic soil, others grow better in a neutral one, and still others prefer a slightly alkaline environment. For example, blueberries, lingonberries, cranberries grow exclusively on acidic soil, hawthorn will give birth well on alkaline soils.

If you want to have a good crop of cucumbers, prepare the soil with a pH that is close to neutral. nine0003

Why measure soil acidity?

If the acidity of the soil does not meet certain requirements, the normal process of nutrient absorption in plants is disrupted, vegetative development slows down and disease resistance decreases.

Determination of soil acidity will show if your soil is within optimal limits or if you need to take cultural measures to regulate the pH level. To improve acidic soils, lime or dolomite is usually used. Lime contains mainly calcium carbonate, while dolomite contains calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate. An increase in soil acidity is a rather rare occurrence, but if such a need arises, it is easier to introduce acidic swampy peat into the soil. nine0003

Acidity is an unstable parameter, it can change after applying a certain type of fertilizer, after acid rains, and also depends on the pH of the water you water. Therefore, it is important to choose a method convenient for you and determine how and with what to measure the acidity of the soil.

How to determine the acidity of the soil in the garden?

Soil acidity is determined by pH.

The pH scale is from 0.0 to 14.0. The indicator of the most acidic environment is 0.0, the most alkaline is 14. 0, and the neutral is 7.0. For example, lemon juice - 2.4 pH (acid), water 7.0 (neutral), soap solution - 9.3 (alkaline). The optimal acidity indicator for cultivated plants is the pH range from 5.5 to 7.5.

Usually, special devices called pH meters are used to determine the acidity of the soil, or soil samples are sent to the laboratory for analysis. It is advisable to purchase such measuring instruments if you are a farmer or intend to carry out analyzes on order. A good pH meter that will accurately measure the pH value is expensive. If you send soil samples to a specialized laboratory, then the analysis requires a certain time and such studies cost money. nine0003

There is a budgetary and simple method of soil analysis for pH . Soil acidity can be determined using litmus paper .

Of course, not all test papers are suitable for determining soil acidity. Try to use pH test strips from reputable manufacturers. Chinese test strips should be treated with caution, as they often have low-quality dye that "floats" when measured, and this harms the accuracy of the results. Also, if possible, buy acidity test strips with a narrow measurement range, such as 4 to 8 pH. Due to the narrowed range, they have high accuracy (pH determination step 0.3–0.5, in contrast to the standard 1.0). nine0003

Which pH test strips from the assortment of the Nanomarket online store are more suitable for determining soil acidity?

These are pH test strips from the renowned UK manufacturer Johnson Test Papers.

pH Indicator Strips 4.0–7.5 JTP pH Indicator Strips

Test strips have a pH range of 4.0 to 7.5, which fully covers the range of soil acidity, from strongly acidic (for example, for growing blueberries) to slightly acidic (chernozem). ) and neutral. nine0003

These test strips are in 0.3 pH increments, which in principle allows you to get pretty decent results when measuring.

Pack of 100 pieces.

We definitely recommend this product as the best value for money.

High resolution pH 4. 0–8.0 test strips JTP Comparator Paper pH

These strips have a slightly wider range (up to 8 pH), but, accordingly, a narrow step (0.5 pH). The kit contains 200 test strips. nine0003

Benefits: fast pH determination, high measuring accuracy. The pH level is easy to determine thanks to the clear gradation of the colors of the scale on the comparator.

High resolution pH 4.0-8.0 test strips JTP Comparator Paper (5 m roll)

These test strips are similar to the previous ones, but have a roll form factor that is convenient for continuous measurements. One set contains a roll of paper strip 5 m long.

The comparator allows you to accurately determine the color intensity of the strip using a color wheel that rotates. nine0003

Accuracy is on average 5 times higher than the conventional color scale.

Test strips for pH 4-8 (100 pcs.) UKRHIM TS-PH8-100

Test strips from the Ukrainian brand "UKRHIM" for self-determination of pH (acidity) in the range from 4 to 8 pH.

Test strips have an elongated design and are made of PVA plastic that will not soak in water. One package contains 100 strips with measuring steps of 0.5 pH.

Advantages: the strip is impregnated with a high-quality reagent, the colors are well calibrated in accordance with the measurement scale, a color scale is applied to the storage bottle for comparing measurement results and instructions for use in Ukrainian. nine0003

How to measure soil pH correctly?

To determine the acidity of the soil at home or directly in your garden, follow four simple steps:

  1. Draw a soil sample into a container.
  2. Add a small amount of water to create an extract. The more water you add, the greater the measurement error will be. Try to use a small amount of water! It is advisable to take distillate or water with a pH close to neutral (pH 7). nine0102
  3. Dip litmus paper into the hood and remove it almost immediately.
  4. Visually compare the color of the test strip with the color chart on the packaging (each color corresponds to a pH value).

We hope you find the pH test method useful.

The video "Affordable Soil pH Method" shows how soil pH can be measured in a cheap and affordable way - using special test strips (litmus). nine0003

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How to check the acidity of the soil on your plot

For each crop there is an optimal soil acidity. One of the most important indicators is the pH level (acid-base balance) of the soil. It shows the saturation of the soil with alkaline minerals or acidic salts, which prevent the absorption of useful elements by plants. nine0003


Therefore, it is very important to determine the acidity of the soil in your area and take appropriate measures. Soil acidity is the ability of the soil to exhibit the properties of acids. Acidity is determined by the pH parameter. The pH value varies from 0 to 14.


There are several ways to determine the acidity of the soil, which will be introduced to us by the specialists of the branch of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "Rosselkhozcenter" in the Tula region.
Soil response varies greatly from row to row, and is also affected by the change of seasons, harvesting, and so on. Therefore, measurements are best done using samples from different places in the garden and twice - at the beginning of the season and at its end. nine0003


The very first and easiest way to determine the acidity of the soil is to examine it carefully. Strongly acidic soil has a reddish and even rusty tint. Water accumulated in the lowlands of acidic soil has a thin iridescent film on the surface. Also in a specialized store for a summer resident gardener, you can buy a pH meter or simple litmus papers. But all this, unfortunately, does not give a 100% accuracy of the result.

A simple acidity analyzer consists of a number of paper strips treated with a special reagent that changes color depending on the reaction of the medium. All the necessary data on the correspondence of the obtained color and pH level is included in the kit. nine0003


Take soil samples from different depths and from different beds. If you need to calculate the average value of acidity in the country, just choose the soil from different places in random order. Please note that according to the laws of statistics, the average value will be reliable only if the number of samples is at least 30. Ten samples is the minimum, but then there will be a serious error.
Wrap the selected soil in a three-layer gauze and lower it into a jar of clean distilled water (it must be purchased separately at the pharmacy). nine0139 Shake the jar of liquid thoroughly, and then dip the litmus paper into the water for a couple of seconds until it changes color. Acidity should be determined from the insert in the kit and this procedure should be repeated for the rest of the samples taken.


Now a modern gardener has access to a whole line of multifunctional devices that allow you to determine the reaction of the soil, its moisture content, temperature, illumination and other parameters.
The advantage of such gadgets is that they are purchased once and for all life, and the big disadvantage is the high price. nine0003

The most reliable method of measurement is the laboratory method. This is the most accurate method, but also the most expensive, because soil analysis must be carried out many times in different places on the site.

When determining the acidity of the soil, folk methods for measuring the pH of the soil are also possible. They are not as reliable as various purchased devices and, moreover, laboratory tests, but they are cheaper and faster to perform.

Soil acidity can be determined using vinegar. Sprinkle some soil to be tested on the glass. Water the ground 9% vinegar. If strong foaming begins, then the soil is alkaline. With moderate acidity of the soil, hissing will be weak. And if the soil is acidic, then there will be no foam at all.

The next way. Place blackcurrant or bird cherry leaves in a glass container and pour boiling water over it (4-5 leaves should be used for 1 glass). After the water has cooled, drop the prepared soil sample into the resulting broth. If the water changes color to red - the soil is acidic, to blue - slightly acidic, to green - neutral. nine0003


If beets grow on the site, the acidity of the soil can be determined by the appearance of its tops. When the leaves are red, the soil is acidic. If the tops are green with red veins, then they are moderately sour. Green tops are found in beets grown on neutral soil. Beets do not grow in alkaline soil.
Determination of acidity is also possible with the help of grape juice. This analysis can be done in early spring or late autumn when there are no green plants. A lump of earth is thrown into a glass of juice. If the juice has changed color and bubbles stand out on its surface for a long time, you have normal (neutral) soil on the site. nine0139

Also, the determination of soil acidity with improvised means can be carried out by tearing a hole 20-25 centimeters deep. If the earth has a whitish layer, then the soil is acidic. In any area there are pits and grooves in which water stagnates. If it has a rusty-colored appearance and its surface is covered with an iridescent film with a loose dark yellow sediment, then the soil in your area is highly acidic.
For the next method you will need: two full tablespoons of garden soil, five tablespoons of water at room temperature, one teaspoon of chalk. All this is poured into a bottle, on the neck of which they put on a fingertip, previously freed from air. The bottle is placed in paper so that the heat from your hands does not distort the results of the experiment. nine0139

If the soil in your area does not have enough lime (that is, it is acidic), then carbon dioxide will appear in the bottle during the chemical reaction. He will begin to rapidly fill the fingertip and he will straighten up. If the soil has a slightly acidic reaction, then the fingertip will straighten only half, if it is neutral, it will not straighten at all.
With the help of soda, it is also possible to determine the acidity of the soil. In a small container, a gruel is prepared from soil and water. Sprinkle plenty of baking soda on top. There was a hiss - the soil is acidified. Further, the degree of acidity must be determined more precisely in order to take the necessary measures. nine0139

Plants-indicators of the acidity of the environment
The simplest indicator of soil acidity is the weeds that have chosen your dacha. It is necessary to analyze and look only at the most common weeds. After all, imported with seedlings or random guests cannot serve as a reliable basis for reliable conclusions.
If wild sorrel, horsetail, buttercups, Ivan da Marya, plantain and Ivan tea feel great on your site, then this indicates acidic soils. nine0139 Cuff, coltsfoot, field bindweed, clover, lupine and odorless chamomile prefer slightly acidic soils.
But if you have a poppy-seed, mustard or white tar (white nap) growing on your site, then your soils are alkaline. The fact that the soil is alkaline is also indicated by such signs: the soil is stony, dry in summer, after rain a dense crust forms on it, stones lie on top.
An acidic environment is typical for podzolic, soddy-podzolic, gray forest and marshy soils, a neutral one for chernozems, and an alkaline one for chestnut soils and solonetzes. nine0139

Most plants prefer soil acidity with a neutral pH or close to neutral - from 6.2 to 7.5: cabbage, beets, peas, celery, cucumber, lettuce, onions, asparagus, parsley, carrots, turnips, radishes, apple trees, pear, plum, cherry, raspberry, garden strawberry, dahlia, irises.
Slightly acidic soils from 6 to 7 pH like crops: beans, dill, tomato, eggplant, corn, melon, zucchini, squash, horseradish, spinach, rhubarb, garlic, kale, radish, Brussels sprouts, chicory, watermelon, various types of onions : chives, shallots, etc.

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