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PH meter for soil

P

Paul Shuler

Member
Has anyone used one of these hand held meters that reads the ph in your soil. The one I saw was at Ace hardware for $23 and looks like a voltage meter with a long probe on it. They advertise it for use on food plots to get your ph in the correct range. My food plot did poorly last sumer and just wondered if this would be worth spending $23 on or if they even work. Thank you for your opinions.
Paul Shuler
 
I've had one for over 30 years and it works well enough if you keep the electrode clean. Cost me $7 when I got it. It IS a voltage meter; that's how it interprets PH.
 
Or you can take a sample of your soil to your county agent, who will sent it to a lab where you can have your soil tested for not only PH but N,P,K and other esentual micronutriants for less then half the cost of the probe that test only one thing
 
save your money!ive bought two and niether worked worth a flip.take a soil sample right now and send it in,whole lot more detailed info and they will tell you what you need for your crop.PH is important but you can have the ph just right and not grow anything,a better way of doing it would be to adjust your crop to your ph.it can literally take years to change the ph of your ground to suit a certain crop or you could simply grow another food deer like
 
I can't speak for others, but in general, pH meters are more accurate then using litmus paper.

That's what NASA used to check the soil pH on the moon and mars. Obviously not all meter are equal quality.

The little cheap hand-held meters that I've used worked fine, WHEN used correctly. Electrodes must be clean, soil compacted, and you must know the temp of the soil being tested. Some meters use two separate electrodes, and some have both on one stick.

The one I bought for less then $10, over 30 years ago has never been off more then 1/2 a number on the pH scale which is fine for gardening purposes.

For anybody that claims "none" work, ask specifics. E.g. , how the test was done, type of meter, brand, etc.

I doubt your problem is solely based on pH, but it's worth checking. If pH is wrong, nutrients get locked up and certain chemicals (e.g. herbicides) won't work.
 
Take a sample and send it to your extension, for roughly the same price they"ll tell you the Ph and nutrient levels.
 
Get a soil test. Ph is only part of the equation. Most places ask for the crop you plan to plant along with tield. Biologic get $8.00; our co-op charges $15.00.

Larry
 
I have used one for years and it works well. READ THE DIRECTIONS. I grow Currants for jelly and wine; also wine greaps and farm Mkt. produce. Ph will make a big dif. in your crop. ED
 
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