IL Trophy Hunter

Has anyone ever used the ph meters like the one Biologic sells?? I realize that they may not be as accurate as a true soil sample but I was wondering if they were atleast close on measuring the soils ph??

Dan O.

They should be close in measuring the pH but they can't measure the buffer pH of the soil. You may need 1 or 10 tons of lime to correct the pH depending on what the buffer effect of the soil is. The way they could be helpful is in telling you if your pH is OK to begin with. After that it's a crap shot as to how much lime you need.

Get a soil sample for proper recommendations.

Dan O.

timbercruiser

I took a few samples from some patches I limed last year to have them tested to the local agriculture office and they didn't charge me anything for the test. You may be able to do the same thing. They said unless you need the other minerals checked they could do it in house. (this is in Florida)

farm hunter

I agree, a Ph Meter is good for maintaining the ph of a plot once its corrected, but not very good for giving any idea of how much lime to put down, because of the buffer - like Dan said.

If you are new to planting, spend you money on the soil tests, and test often. A little information, is dangerous, and could be costly in this case.