What are people using to test soil Ph

[Mounty]

Well firstly, I've visited the labs in question, so have seen the point at which it goes wrong for the pH test. I put thousands of samples a year through labs so have a fair bit of knowledge about the whole process. It's also why the Scottish labs do a 'fresh pH' test for soil samples, as the other method used in England is unreliable.
As for the testing kit, it's far from a home test kit and has been used by some companies to calibrate digital meters.
Take your chances, ignorance is bliss as they say.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Well firstly, I've visited the labs in question, so have seen the point at which it goes wrong for the pH test. I put thousands of samples a year through labs so have a fair bit of knowledge about the whole process. It's also why the Scottish labs do a 'fresh pH' test for soil samples, as the other method used in England is unreliable.
As for the testing kit, it's far from a home test kit and has been used by some companies to calibrate digital meters.
Take your chances, ignorance is bliss as they say.

What does fresh mean . My man may not send them off for a week or two ?

 

[Steevo]

What does fresh mean . My man may not send them off for a week or two ?

I assume “as it came out of the field” rather than dried out and then ground to oblivion.

 

[steveR]

What are people using to test soil Ph ? got a few fields to do , we had a proper old kit decades ago in a wooden case with all the sterile water etc , now sadly gone, is there anything on market these days , or anything electronic ?

I have long used a gardening probe tester. The soil needs to be well damp, so after heavy rain is ideal.

Many poo-poo them, but I have found the readings to be pretty well identical to chemical and other tests done side by side...

 

[Cab-over Pete]

You should be sampling the soils for P, K and Mg now and most labs will analyse pH too. If you're doing the soil testing as we're all meant to now then you'll get pH.

Obviously if you are wanting to get very detailed about it then there may be advantages in being able to sample smaller areas yourself, but to be honest sending soil to the lab is so easy quick and cheap why would you bother doing much else?

Lab sampling for pH would be a waste of time in this county. I barely ever find a field without several soil types within it.

If you just send one sample to the lab of mixed soil types you may as well not bother and if you send all the different soil types it will cost a small fortune.

Far better to find some fool to walk your fields intensively taking many samples as he goes, observing all the differing soils and aspects of the land, sample them, map the results and provide a recommendation based on over 30 years of experience.

Where do you suppose local farmers could find such a fool to do all that free of charge?

 

[Mounty]

What does fresh mean . My man may not send them off for a week or two ?

I assume “as it came out of the field” rather than dried out and then ground to oblivion.

Correct, they're tested as received. @croppers would know more.

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Soil should be sampled for pH in its most natural state. Moist and friable with a growing or recently grown crop.