Simple pH test

[Bogweevil]

Lab seems to have lost my soil samples, need to crack on with work and need to know pH of block of land. Have a calibrated optical pH meter for checking water for the chooks and was thinking is it just a matter of mixing some soil samples with distilled water and checking for a simple farmgate pH test? Is this a thing? if so what amounts of water etc do I use?
@Cab-over Pete

Meter tend to be unreliable - simple kits from garden centres are the real thing in miniature and good enough for most practical purposes - £2-£3 each generally.

 

[ollie989898]

Lab seems to have lost my soil samples, need to crack on with work and need to know pH of block of land. Have a calibrated optical pH meter for checking water for the chooks and was thinking is it just a matter of mixing some soil samples with distilled water and checking for a simple farmgate pH test? Is this a thing? if so what amounts of water etc do I use?
@Cab-over Pete

Just take some more and send them in the post, get results by email within 2-3 days. I would not trust a pH meter, they need to be perfectly cleaned and calibrated before each use anyway and I'd be loathe to plant or fertilise a crop without knowing the P or K indices as just as much as I'd be loathe to do the same without knowing the pH. There really are no shortcuts in this sort of thing.

 

[Kevtherev]

Just take some more and send them in the post, get results by email within 2-3 days. I would not trust a pH meter, they need to be perfectly cleaned and calibrated before each use anyway and I'd be loathe to plant or fertilise a crop without knowing the P or K indices as just as much as I'd be loathe to do the same without knowing the pH. There really are no shortcuts in this sort of thing.

Especially now with the cost of fert

 

[shumungus]

Just take some more and send them in the post, get results by email within 2-3 days. I would not trust a pH meter, they need to be perfectly cleaned and calibrated before each use anyway and I'd be loathe to plant or fertilise a crop without knowing the P or K indices as just as much as I'd be loathe to do the same without knowing the pH. There really are no shortcuts in this sort of thing.

Yes I understand that but the N, P, and K levels can be addressed as we go along but the pH correction with Lime has to be done now if the pH is even within range of the proposed crop. As I said at the start of the thread, was wanting to find out pH to let me away, labs are up to a two week turn around at the minute with covid staff issues and work load.

 

[Agrifreak]

Will you be able to get new samples taken that will give a representative level of P&K, because I'd bet there's a good coat of hen dung on by now

 

[wdah/him]

i have sampled some ground here the last few years, results through yara i think via local meal firm, ground is getting worse for ph was 5.6 last year and now 5.4, got egg shells. Found with gran lime that i noticed no difference but will test both again next year. lab results seem to vary alot no matter whaat you do so im going with a 3 test average. one place done three times and no lime spread has been 5.4, 6 and 5.8.

can anyone explain

 

[shumungus]

Will you be able to get new samples taken that will give a representative level of P&K, because I'd bet there's a good coat of hen dung on by now

No hen dung on yet, grazed off and sprayed down, ploughman booked for next week. Will take samples tomorrow and send away before dung.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Quarry price on Lime is up £5 ton on last year, is that representative. ?

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Just the ex quarry price? No haulage?

 

[Cab-over Pete]

i have sampled some ground here the last few years, results through yara i think via local meal firm, ground is getting worse for ph was 5.6 last year and now 5.4, got egg shells. Found with gran lime that i noticed no difference but will test both again next year. lab results seem to vary alot no matter whaat you do so im going with a 3 test average. one place done three times and no lime spread has been 5.4, 6 and 5.8.

can anyone explain

I could explain why the granular lime didn’t work, but I don’t want to go on about it!

The slight variations in pH over time could be because the soil samples were taken from slightly different places. There will always be variations even within a few yards of each other.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Just the ex quarry price? No haulage?

Yes but Haulage is up a fair bit , probs £10 ton with lime and haulage

 

[Derrick Hughes]

i have sampled some ground here the last few years, results through yara i think via local meal firm, ground is getting worse for ph was 5.6 last year and now 5.4, got egg shells. Found with gran lime that i noticed no difference but will test both again next year. lab results seem to vary alot no matter whaat you do so im going with a 3 test average. one place done three times and no lime spread has been 5.4, 6 and 5.8.

can anyone explain

At those levels you may as well pee on said soil as put granular on , it needs a big hit not a slap

 

[DaveGrohl]

Does anyone use this tracking system for spreading lime , be interested in how much variation there is in a field ?? Sorry to detract

I’m guessing you’re talking about Terramap? We had some fields done last autumn, very interesting seeing the results. Huge potential for varying rates of all sorts of inputs, but I wanted to start with it because I’ve never had much faith in taking conventional soil samples can give you a proper idea of your fields, it’s very much lick finger and stick it in the air in comparison. Pleasantly surprised at ph of our fields as we haven’t used much lime historically.

 

[fieldfarmer]

Yes but Haulage is up a fair bit , probs £10 ton with lime and haulage

Not gone up here, same price as last year, probably around 20 miles from quarry though.

 

[wdah/him]

I could explain why the granular lime didn’t work, but I don’t want to go on about it!

The slight variations in pH over time could be because the soil samples were taken from slightly different places. There will always be variations even within a few yards of each other.

Oh I don't think I will be gran lime much. Hence why I tried egg shells but I will sample the patches in a next year too.

 

[deleted user 436632456]

Oh I don't think I will be gran lime much. Hence why I tried egg shells but I will sample the patches in a next year too.

What were your overall thoughts on the egg shells? Was there much smell? I'm assuming you got them from Eco Egg?

 

[Kevtherev]

Quarry price on Lime is up £5 ton on last year, is that representative. ?

Be up higher after April 1st

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Yes but Haulage is up a fair bit , probs £10 ton with lime and haulage

Which quarry is that from?

 

[ollie989898]

i have sampled some ground here the last few years, results through yara i think via local meal firm, ground is getting worse for ph was 5.6 last year and now 5.4, got egg shells. Found with gran lime that i noticed no difference but will test both again next year. lab results seem to vary alot no matter whaat you do so im going with a 3 test average. one place done three times and no lime spread has been 5.4, 6 and 5.8.

can anyone explain

Small differences like those quoted I wouldn't make too much noise about- could be down to your sampling alone. Granular lime is a complete waste of time in your scenario- get and buy actual ground lime and put on 2 tonne/acre. pH 5.4 is chuffing low.

 

[wdah/him]

Small differences like those quoted I wouldn't make too much noise about- could be down to your sampling alone. Granular lime is a complete waste of time in your scenario- get and buy actual ground lime and put on 2 tonne/acre. pH 5.4 is chuffing low.

Restivted by close by houses but looking into the band type auger spreaders. Just need enough of small fields or a group of local farmers maybe to leave it worth while for the contractor