PH testing, how many do?

**solway cropper** · 15-02-2015, 10:13 PM

The probe things are worse than useless. I do it and I use 'wet chemistry' ie. a soil testing kit. You don't need to keep doing it but it does help with a new plot/garden to know where you're starting from.

**KevinM67** · 15-02-2015, 10:17 PM

Without googling - who can tell me what PH stands for ?

**libbyloulou** · 15-02-2015, 10:23 PM

potential of hydrogen, i do my testing every few yrs, i also test new composts that i try out, i use the gardman set up which consists of barium powder, some liquid not sure what it is, and containers to mix in, i find it pretty accurate.

**Glutton4...** · 16-02-2015, 07:47 AM

I have an old probe type, which I think I have only used once or twice. I have a customer who wants to plant Rhododendrons and Azaleas all round their garden, but have completely the wrong soil. Several years down the line, I'm still having trouble getting them to accept that's why they always die.

I pH tested the whole garden, and gave them the best spots to try, but did they listen... ?

**Penellype** · 16-02-2015, 09:03 AM

I bought one of the probe types, which told me my soil was pH 1-2

- if that had been accurate my fingers should be burnt to a crisp by now, so I don't have much faith in the thing. I've never had much joy with the liquid testers either, so I tend to leave things as they are and accept that soem things don't like it. If I really want to grow something that likes specific conditions (like blueberries) I use pots.

**stevejohnson53** · 16-02-2015, 09:06 AM

Threw my probe type junk in bin last weekend, so I have just ordered a proper soil testing kit. Me mixing chemicals.... BANG!

Thanks for the advice.

**Nicos** · 16-02-2015, 09:45 AM

I've tried both...and just gave up!

I just try to grow what grows best in my soil.
I know it's slightly acidic- I can tell from the plants and weeds which grow there.

I've given up trying to manipulate nature like that- it always wins/reverts back.
Anything which would require alkaline soil would be grown in a tub which is easier to manipulate.

I have found the liquid one to be more accurate.

**Kristen** · 16-02-2015, 04:29 PM

Originally posted by Glutton4... View Post

I have a customer who wants to plant Rhododendrons and Azaleas all round their garden, but have completely the wrong soil. Several years down the line, I'm still having trouble getting them to accept that's why they always die.

I pH tested the whole garden, and gave them the best spots to try, but did they listen... ?

Rhododendrons grafted onto Inkarho rootstocks should be fine on Alkaline soil - they grow them on Salisbury plain apparently!

Can't help with Azaleas I'm afraid (although I'd love it here if there is a similar solution available for them

)

https://www.rhododendrons.co.uk/rhod...odendrons.aspx

**Two_Sheds** · 16-02-2015, 04:38 PM

I've never bothered with a kit: our water's very hard & brassicas grow well; azaleas do not, therefore I have alkaline soil

**Snadger** · 16-02-2015, 07:59 PM

Scabby tatties,alkaline soil.
Good brassicas,alkaline soil.
Rhododendrons/Azealias and blueberries thrive, acid soil.

Best to work with soil by growing what suits it.

If growing for showing,soil test may be helpful as each crop has an ideal Ph requirement which will give consistent results.
Run of the mill veggie growers like myself learn what to grow over a period of years including cultivars of each veg which are particularly suited to your area or soil type!

**Alison** · 16-02-2015, 08:38 PM

All the soil round here is acidic, I know this by looking at what grows well in gardens and plots. Experience has taught me to add a bit of lime with my brassica planting and then they grow well too. Can't be bothering with test kits and as people have said, they're not reliable anyway. Your eyes can be trusted much more, just look around and copy

**Kristen** · 18-02-2015, 08:44 AM

I have never tested my soil, but that's only laziness as I think I should.

I know its alkaline, from what I can grow, but what I don't know is if repeated mucking and crop rotation has reduced the pH sufficiently that I should be liming once-in-a-while. Old gardening books I have read included lime in the rotation as a matter of routine - presumably no soil testing kits at Sheds back in those days

But I do think I ought to test my soil just to see how much, if at all, the pH is acidifying year-on-year My Spuds getting scab, as the first indication would be a PITA, I'd prefer to treat the soil before that happened rather than have a ruined crop for a season ...

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