pH testing soil, what do you recommend?

I find the digi meters unreliable and always go with a soil analysis kit - why can't I find good old litmus paper anymore?

Whenever I have tried these things I've been left totally unconvinced. I tried the liquid kit agas ago and came out with a reading of around 6, which I didn't believe as I am pretty certain I have slightly acid soil. I then tried a pH meter, which gave a reading of 1. That would mean my soil has the same pH as concentrated sulphuric acid, nothing would grow in it at all, and I would likely have no fingers left as they would have been burned by the acid, so I was not at all impressed.

If your soil is chalky it is almost certain to be alkaline, as chalk is just another form of limestone (both are calcium carbonate). I am very dubious that you would suddenly get the sort of symptoms you describe on land you have been growing on for years as a result of the pH. It sounds more likely that something else has caused this. My prime suspects would be one or more of:
Manure or compost containing weedkiller
Lack of watering at strategic times
Too much water at strategic times

As most of your crops were affected and as you are used to growing on that land I woud strongly suspect the first of these. There could be other causes, but things like a bad batch of seeds would appear to be ruled out by the scale of the problem.

Litmus seems to have been overtaken by universal indicator because it is possible to get a more accurate reading of the pH as opposed to simply acid or alkaline.

Cheap pH meters notoriously unreliable - no calibration ability, no control-solutions with which to calibrate them.

On that basis I would say your soil is pH=6, which sounds OK ?

I think the test-tube test kits are not suitable for using with Compost? (not sure why though, something I vaguely remember reading in the manufacturer's blurb)

Folk like RHS offer soil testing analysis, if you wanted a second opinion ?

Here's one I prepared earlier http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ml#post1179087

1 & 2 can be dismissed, but going on last years weather, 3 is a distinct possibility.

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