How to Use a Soil pH Meter

What's more, pH meters can also be used time and time again making them very economical.

There are a number of reasonably priced soil pH meters on the market. I particularly like the Luster Leaf 1818 Rapitest Mini 4-in-1 Soil Tester which not only tells you the pH, but also gives you information about soil fertility together with light and moisture levels - all useful information for you, the gardener.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Important points:
It is essential to clean the probe of the meter before each test to ensure accurate results. If the probe has become discoloured during storage use some steel wool or very fine abrasive paper to clean it. Also rinse and dry your trowel.

Use deionized or bottled water as your tap water may be soft (acidic) or hard (alkaline) and could affect the results.

1. Use a clean trowel to dig a small hole.
2. Break up and crumble the soil inside the hole, picking out and discarding any stones, twigs or other objects.
3. Fill the hole with water and allow to drain through.
4. Clean the probe with a tissue and insert it into the hole.
5. Wait for 60 seconds then take a reading.
6. Repeat in different locations and then compare your results.

And that's it - it really is very easy!

More Information...

Now you know the pH value of your soil you can use this information to choose the right plants for your garden; most plants are labelled with information about soil pH and soil type.

If you need more information about soil you can get an overview of the subject, together with links to other soil-related pages, by returning from 'Soil pH Meter' to 'Healthy Garden Soil'.