Regarding pH levels and liming (for plots)....
 

Wouldn't it be conceviable that I could test the pH level of my soil with my swimming pool test apparatus?

It seems that the Antler King pH Soil test kit just dilutes soil w/distilled ("0" pH) water and then apply a paper pH test strip.

Will my pool strips work if I dilute likewise? These strips are alot cheaper. I think I would be looking for a 7.0 (neutral) pH level for planting, right?

Well the pool strips and dropper kits measure from 6.2 - 8.0+, so if I get 6.5/7.0 I'm good to go?

I don't know, I feel the science is there to look into it. Or maybe I'm just a cheap **s - don't have the pool anymore (too much fussin").

Uncle Matt (in IL)

RE: Regarding pH levels and liming (for plots)....
 

Here's a few thoughts. I am not familar with the pool test pH strips, but I assume they are similar to regular pH strips.

Yes you can use them, as long as you know that the accuracy may not be the greatest. They will get you in some general area of your pH. The full test pH strips covers the entire range of pH. Your soil if anything like what I have may be in the range of 5.0 to 7. So your pool test strips may not be adequate to measure the lower pH. If the lower limits only measure to 6.2 you may get a false high reading. More likely, the test paper will have some odd color that is not on the chart that the company provides.

Go ahead and follow their procedure or let me know and I will give you a general soil pH procedure that I use in the lab where I work. You may want to test the pH of the distilled water. Not all distilled water has similar pH. Use a one to one ratio of distilled water to soil if possible.

One more thing. Yes you are cheap, but so am I.

RE: Regarding pH levels and liming (for plots)....
 

when you add water to the soil, you are in essence diluting the soil. and therefore, diluting your soils pH reading.

try to add as little water as possible to the soil in order to get an accurate reading.

if you really want to do something technical, get the soil sample, weigh it, dissolve it completely in distilled water. then add a base (ammonia comes to mind) slowly to your dissovled soil solution. once the solution has turned basic, it means you have neutralized all the acid. if you know how much ammonia you added, and you know it's concentration, you can calculate what the buffer pH was in the soil.

around here a soil test is $6 and takes about 10 days. not only does it tell you the pH, but also tells you the P and K levels as well.

so if you somehow determine your soils pH, how are you going to determine the P and K levels? of course you can just broadcast those fertilzers on your plots, but if those nutrients are already there you are just wasting money.

bottom line of this post...just do the soil test. it's cheaper in the long run.

RE: Regarding pH levels and liming (for plots)....
 

Matt, when you go to test your soil, do what is called the 5 spade method.
Take some soil from each corner of the property and one from the middle.
Put them in a box and mix together, before checking ph. This will give you
a better idea on what to spread for the entire property.

RE: Regarding pH levels and liming (for plots)....
 

Thanks Rebel for the five spade test method.

I am not going to cheap the pH test and risk the $$$ of seed or the possibility of not getting these plots going.

The guy who leases the fields says the soil is really 6.5 all around, but I will check first.

If the soil is 6.5 and we burn the high grasses in our intended areas, what effect will the ash have on the soil? Will it bring the pH up slightly?

Uncle Matt (in IL)

RE: Regarding pH levels and liming (for plots)....
 

i think it will bring the pH up very very slightly.

but it will release P and K.

a couple years ago a relative of mine was trying to burn off a stump in their front yard (5 acre yard, they live in the country). the fire got out of control and burned a what probably looked like a funnel shaped path of grass when viewed from the air. bottom of funnel being the stump. 2 acres probably burned. anyway, about 6 weeks later springtime was here. the area where the lawn was burned was noticeably greener and thicker than the nonburned portion.

RE: Regarding pH levels and liming (for plots)....
 

Why not take soil to a local FS plant? It costs 3 bucks to have it done right.