What are people using to test soil Ph

andybk

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Mendips Somerset
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 ?
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
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 ?

@Mounty sells a kit (in a wooden box too iirc), but sending samples off to a lab is likely to be the cheapest option for a small number of samples, every now and again. Unless your local lime man tests of course.
 

Derrick Hughes

Member
Location
Ceredigion
Can the experts give their opinion on how much 1 ton of good ground limestone will raise PH .I've always worked on 0.5 , is that being to optamistic

On this type of soil
IMG_20210608_152844__01.jpg
 

Bury the Trash

Member
Mixed Farmer
there used to be a 'Westminster' proper set on ebay for bit less than a £100 iirc, don't see it these days tho.just garden type ones.
thats where i got my last one.
 

Mounty

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Suffolk
@Mounty sells a kit (in a wooden box too iirc), but sending samples off to a lab is likely to be the cheapest option for a small number of samples, every now and again. Unless your local lime man tests of course.
Only just picked up on this. Yes we do replica kits of the original BDH kits @andybk refers to as well as the lightweight kit that @Bury the Trash mentioned. We also pH test soil for people if there isn't enough to justify buying a test kit. Just post samples to us for a small charge.
All available here: pH testing kits or posted samples
 

Mounty

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Suffolk
Absolutely ! A lot of people forget that pH is a (negative power, base ten) log scale, so getting from 5 to 6 is totally different than from 6 to 7.
Spot on...........
a 6.0 is 10 times more acidic than a 7.0
a 5.0 is 100 times more acidic than a 7.0
a 4.0 is 1000 times more acidic than a 7.0
Needs to be factored in.
 

Mounty

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Suffolk
Do you find many pH samples down in the 4. something @Mounty ?

Had a few pink tinges the other day on a block of permanent grass. He said he would think about putting some lime on……. would 1.5t per acre put it right?
I don't have many if I'm honest, but I do find them from time to time. I am finding a few more samples of late that are 5.0 verging on high 4's which I think were nearer 5.5 previously.

If it is sub pH 5.0, I don't think 1.5t/ac would put it right, but it will send it in the right direction.
 

N.Yorks.

Member
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?
 

Derrick Hughes

Member
Location
Ceredigion
Was reading yesterday that it takes up to 3 years for lime to fully work if spread on top , best way is to fully mix it in when cultivating, and should never be ploughed under soon after spreading , also said that good fine ground limestone spread at 1.2 tons is as good as course stuff spread at 2 ton
 

Mounty

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Suffolk
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?
Because unfortunately, the laboratory preparation method used for pH analysis can give artificially high readings. The example attached was taken from a field where approx 8ha is between pH 5.7-6.2. That is why you would bother!
Screenshot 2021-06-17 at 13.50.47.png
 

N.Yorks.

Member
Because unfortunately, the laboratory preparation method used for pH analysis can give artificially high readings. The example attached was taken from a field where approx 8ha is between pH 5.7-6.2. That is why you would bother!
View attachment 968179
So how do you know the lab with all their accredited systems, maintained and calibrated equipment is wrong in comparison to someone with a home test kit? Who is actually correct? Think i'll take my chances with the lab thanks......
 

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