Comments on: Soil pH and why it matters

By: Wayne

Wed, 28 May 2025 06:37:54 +0000

If all you need is pH, it is easy to do at home.
pH meters with.1 resolution are cheap, resolution of .01 are only a bit more. pH 7 reference buffers even come with the meter. Just thoroughly mix a sample of soil with distilled water and let it settle them measure the pH of the water.

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By: Suz Hall

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 04:52:48 +0000

Hi, I keep reading that the 4.5 pH is what we should aim for with our blueberries. The catalogs and companies that sell the blueberries say the same thing. But if you have a pH meter at home, try testing the soil that they send the blueberry shipped in. Every Blueberry that I buy the pH is right around 6.5. Why is that? It seems they Blueberry people themselves have trouble achieving that acidic goal. I can put Sphagnum moss around my bushes, ph adjuster, fertilizers for acid loving plants such as blueberries, hollies, etc… and do this several times a year. Put my coffee grounds, And still, I can never get my soil below 6.0. It will always creep back up. But having said all of that, the Blueberry bushes do not seem to mind the 6.5 pH that they are growing in. I also give alfalfa pellets for a boost and soil conditioner as the earthworms pull the pellets underground. My bushes are loaded and look beautiful. I live in West TN, and an occasional ring of horse manure shows up too. Still they maintain between 6.0-6.5. I spoke with other ladies at a garden club and we got into a discussion of our blueberries, and they all pretty much said the same thing. That their bushes stay around the 6.0 and a little above. All of my bushes are Rabbit Eye, except I have one that was a Northern Blueberry, and was doing poorly up next to my house, and moved it to my blueberry patch. Now it is really beginning to shine. I am anxious to see if it blooms again after moving it and how it will do. I do water when the ground gets dry as well. Thank you for the pH soil videos.

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By: Jessica Walliser

Thu, 28 Apr 2022 03:55:54 +0000

In reply to Chris Okkerse.

They are not consistent and you get what you pay for. Two-pronged models that are of good quality are pretty reliable, but they cost more than most people want to spend. Plus, a laboratory soil test will give you lots of other useful information aside from your pH, such as nutrient content, cation exchange capacity, organic matter content, etc.

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By: Chris Okkerse

Thu, 07 Apr 2022 16:20:20 +0000

Do ph soil testers like the one in your picture work? So why a soil test at a lab if they do?

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