Just a quick question about checking soil PH

The soil i'm currently using is old horse manure, which probably has some rabbit manure and other dirt in it, all aged no new stuff. It worked great last year and everything grew really good in it. I was at walmart last week and they had these cheap at home soil testing kits that check PH,and the NPK individually. It said to use distilled water i didnt have any so i used rain water idk if that was a bad choice, but the color it turned matched to about 6.5 on the chart, Nitrogen was supposed to be Pink ended up dark purple, and the P and K all tested high. So thats good i guess. Still don't think a $4 test is very accurate. Could you mix like a 1/4 cup of soil and 3/4 cup water in a jar and use a PH meter to test the PH?
I'm not sure how else to test the PH, the plants always do good in the soil i use but i'm just curious. I also found this https://www.amazon.ca/Moisture-acidity-Outdoor-Hygrometer-Monitor/dp/B01NBC5FKF/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=soil+meter&qid=1556218575&refinements=p_72:11192170011&rnid=11192166011&s=lawn-garden&sr=1-3

jonl92 said:

The soil i'm currently using is old horse manure, which probably has some rabbit manure and other dirt in it, all aged no new stuff. It worked great last year and everything grew really good in it. I was at walmart last week and they had these cheap at home soil testing kits that check PH,and the NPK individually. It said to use distilled water i didnt have any so i used rain water idk if that was a bad choice, but the color it turned matched to about 6.5 on the chart, Nitrogen was supposed to be Pink ended up dark purple, and the P and K all tested high. So thats good i guess. Still don't think a $4 test is very accurate. Could you mix like a 1/4 cup of soil and 3/4 cup water in a jar and use a PH meter to test the PH?
I'm not sure how else to test the PH, the plants always do good in the soil i use but i'm just curious. I also found this https://www.amazon.ca/Moisture-acidity-Outdoor-Hygrometer-Monitor/dp/B01NBC5FKF/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=soil+meter&qid=1556218575&refinements=p_72:11192170011&rnid=11192166011&s=lawn-garden&sr=1-3

Click to expand...

Yes it's called a slurry test and is how you're supposed to test soil pH. Some people test the runoff which is a waste of time because it doesn't give you an accurate reading of the soil pH. But somehow it's become the method many use even though the results are worthless.

https://www.coleparmer.com/tech-article/soil-samples-ph-testing

xtsho said:

Yes it's called a slurry test and is how you're supposed to test soil pH. Some people test the runoff which is a waste of time because it doesn't give you an accurate reading of the soil pH. But somehow it's become the method many use even though the results are worthless.

https://www.coleparmer.com/tech-article/soil-samples-ph-testing

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Thanks for confirming my idea Guess i need to get a PH meter now. I should've had one long time ago.

Buy a soil test where you send the sample away

jonl92 said:

The soil i'm currently using is old horse manure, which probably has some rabbit manure and other dirt in it, all aged no new stuff. It worked great last year and everything grew really good in it. I was at walmart last week and they had these cheap at home soil testing kits that check PH,and the NPK individually. It said to use distilled water i didnt have any so i used rain water idk if that was a bad choice, but the color it turned matched to about 6.5 on the chart, Nitrogen was supposed to be Pink ended up dark purple, and the P and K all tested high. So thats good i guess. Still don't think a $4 test is very accurate. Could you mix like a 1/4 cup of soil and 3/4 cup water in a jar and use a PH meter to test the PH?
I'm not sure how else to test the PH, the plants always do good in the soil i use but i'm just curious. I also found this https://www.amazon.ca/Moisture-acidity-Outdoor-Hygrometer-Monitor/dp/B01NBC5FKF/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=soil+meter&qid=1556218575&refinements=p_72:11192170011&rnid=11192166011&s=lawn-garden&sr=1-3

Click to expand...

First off. Why are you gassed up over doing what worked last year,,,this year?

Next: Soil self pH's. You really don't need to know the "soil" pH as once you set the plant in it...It settles in the plants desired range..
As long as your not watering with a solution that is over 8 or under 5.....Forget about it!

The pH value you will get is dependent on the amount of moisture in the soil also! *side bar*
pHing run off is never an accurate measure of actual soil pH. Even though some follow a math formula to figure the difference to get a pH reading from runoff. Your right back at the "variables" issue again...

Lastly, and going back to my first statement. If it's working like it did last year, why bother with these testing things? They are for people having problems with their gardens. Are you?

* I used to say that watering soil made the pH go up. Then, someone argued that it went down. I said "fuck it" and started saying it went down.....Guess what? A new guy starts giving me shit for saying it went down.... I have gotten tired of arguing with people here....So now I say it simply changes (if I go back to what I first said, then some one will just give me grief over that sooo)....."I" know the truth but, around here. People will be troll's over what they know and others say.*

You can buy a simple soil ph test kit online. Their accurate enough imo. Cheap too.

jonl92 said:

The soil i'm currently using is old horse manure, which probably has some rabbit manure and other dirt in it, all aged no new stuff. It worked great last year and everything grew really good in it. I was at walmart last week and they had these cheap at home soil testing kits that check PH,and the NPK individually. It said to use distilled water i didnt have any so i used rain water idk if that was a bad choice, but the color it turned matched to about 6.5 on the chart, Nitrogen was supposed to be Pink ended up dark purple, and the P and K all tested high. So thats good i guess. Still don't think a $4 test is very accurate. Could you mix like a 1/4 cup of soil and 3/4 cup water in a jar and use a PH meter to test the PH?
I'm not sure how else to test the PH, the plants always do good in the soil i use but i'm just curious. I also found this https://www.amazon.ca/Moisture-acidity-Outdoor-Hygrometer-Monitor/dp/B01NBC5FKF/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=soil+meter&qid=1556218575&refinements=p_72:11192170011&rnid=11192166011&s=lawn-garden&sr=1-3

Click to expand...

In time you will note that the soil adjust the ph

its what soil does

adjusting soil is yet another 'merican nooby myth'

just so many these days too ...lol

vostok said:

I time you will note that the soil adjust the ph

its what soil does

adjusting soil is yet another 'merican nooby myth'

just so many these days too ...lol

Click to expand...

And another reason so many people end up in the Marijuana Plant Problems section. Runoff pH was XYZ so I adjusted my watering to XYZ pH. All they're doing is messing up the balance of the soil.

xtsho said:

And another reason so many people end up in the Marijuana Plant Problems section. Runoff pH was XYZ so I adjusted my watering to XYZ pH. All they're doing is messing up the balance of the soil.

Click to expand...

we never had it so good I know I know,
but even back in the day some studying of the subject was required
it must be the internet thing thats still going on!!!!