PH soil meters

Having a large wall garden to look after, this season so far has had it's up's & down's.

Carrots went down to Aus....along with most of my peas, corn no show, onions did well thou , so this got me thinking what the last guy did in the way of manure, fertilizer, and what state the soil is in??

What do you guy & gals think about these soil PH meters??

Looking on the big A...https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=ph+soil+meter&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

 

I purchased a 4 in 1 like the zhong le one.

Most all appear to be the same just with a different name / cardboard sleeve.

Only really used the pH measurement though.

 

Many thanks for that Quentin....for what they cost it'll not break the bank and may give me a better idea of what needs adding to the soil.

 

I agree with John, probably a waste of money. I bought one a few years ago. The readings were in the region of 5.0 (acidic), but my gut feeling (based on a few observations) was that this couldn’t be correct. So, I got myself a test kit, which gave a reading of around 8.0 (alkaline), a massive difference.

 

Thanks, everyone, I did have a PH water meter years back when I brewed my own beer, and that was a PITA because you had to calibrate it every time I used it.
I was hoping that they had improved a lot by now?? but it dosesn't look like it. I still have a box of the strip ones I used for making wines, but how long do they last?.....looks like I'll have to get a new packet.
Cheers.

 

Spectrum/fieldscout do some good pH meters but the price is expensive and calibration is still required. They are good for a rough guide only but are a lot more accurate than the ones found in garden centres. Rough guide means remembering what alters your readings ie watering from a tap and moisture content and so on.

 

IMO. What really does an individual expect from a test meter of any kind. For instance, you might be using an electical test meter of sorts, apart from the usual pos/neg readings, moving the probes about can often provide you with a slightly variable reading.

In the case of pH meters. In the main they do work. The basic principle of 7.0 being neutral. Below that, 6.9 and below indicating the degree of acidity. Above 7.0 indicating alkalinity. Perhaps most gardeners have little or no idea of the interim measurements mean. For instance. The basic scale goes up or down at 0.5 intervals, so for the majority this is acceptible.
Now and then I use a pH test meter with a soil probe, in the greenhouse. I can fill several say, 9cm pots with compost from the same mix. Then poking the probe into each pot, cleaning the probe each time. Having checked say 20 pots. I have list of several varying readings say between 5.5 & 6.5

In the main. Many gardeners tie themselves up in knots over the pH factors. As Liz the Pot says. Even watering can effect changes.
Hope this helps.

 

Agree with comments expressed
A basic idea of one’s soil type is very important though.......essential I think To know whether soil is acid or alkaline.
Soil alkalinity can vary from spot to spot in the garden. The veg garden, for example, is prob more alkaline than the rest of the garden here

 

I think what is of at least equal value is having a little knowledge of what plants like what types of soil, then walking slowly around your neighbourhood (helpful to have a dog sniffing the ground in front of you, to disguise your slow progress), and see what is growing in neighbours’ gardens. If it’s a low maintenance garden, with no obvious mulching, then they are probably not fighting the base soil type. Pause, “good Fido!”, and note well what is doing well, what seems a little sad, and move on... If a neighbour is passing, then pluck up courage, and ask! They might have been friendly with the previous owner of your house, and able to give you loads of info, good and bad!

If you are new to your house, then ideally you wait a year before doing anything major.

In the comfort of your own garden, you can see what does well, what doesn’t. Remember to look at the weeds as well as the other plants. They tell you at least as much!

As others have said, testing only goes so far. For example, I have acidic soil here. Not hugely so, but definitely acidic. I also have very alkaline tap water. So a bed that is watered regularly would test as neutral or alkaline, but the roots would be finding the acidic tendencies!

 

Agree Sian
A combination of the two I think
Mind you, I often see folks pushing baskets full of plants to their cars ranging from acid lovers to lime lovers and they seem oblivious to the fact that their gardens will not be suitable