From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Mnt.pleasant ,tennessee

Do they work& are they worth it?

7/28/2013 12:07:47 PM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

Unless you have a way of calibrating it...I have found them a waste of money

7/28/2013 12:36:52 PM

Mnt.pleasant ,tennessee

Ik shannon thanks.how would i calibrate, with soils that i know the ph are.stick it in & adjust if possible?

7/28/2013 12:46:06 PM

BC, Canada

the comparisons I have seen on these home soil pH testers have not been very positive. There is the "buffering" capacity or alkalinity of the parent material that comes in to play if you are adjusting. The probe kit demos always show using water to make a slurry and then waiting 60 seconds to test with the probe. I always ask myself if they tested the pH of their water first!
This link
http://www.joe.org/joe/2001august/tt3.php
has the best write up about it I have seen. The first paragraph of the conclusion sums it up nicely I think.

7/28/2013 1:22:22 PM

Mnt.pleasant ,tennessee

I put it back on the shelf.ill check out the link thank ya

7/28/2013 2:56:29 PM

Connecticut

The pH of a dry substance can not be read by a meter so it has to be wet and actually more like a slurry in order to get an accurate reading. (This is the method soil labs use.)

There are confounding factors though as if you are adding water to get an accurate pH it should be neutral distilled water. Then you want to be able to calibrate the probe you are using so having buffer solutions of known pH are important which typically come in 4, 7,and 10 (with 4 and 7 being the most common, yes you need at least two). Another point with most of the probes need to be kept in water at all times. In the labs world the phrase "if it drys it dies" is common place.

I realize this is probably a lot more information than you wanted but this give some insight into the science behind just one little number on your soil report.

7/28/2013 11:43:19 PM

Mnt.pleasant ,tennessee

Thanks for posting matt. I like to know how things tick.now i know more thank you

7/29/2013 8:33:23 AM

Lodi, California

I think they are good for finding something along the lines of your ph. My soil test this year said I was at 6.8 ph and my 2 pronged tester said I was at about 6.7-6.8 on ph.

8/2/2013 10:53:03 AM