How To Determine The Acidity Of The Soil

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Experienced gardeners know that soil acidity is an important factor for plants. Let's talk about how to independently analyze the soil

What is soil acidity

A quantitative indicator of the presence of free hydrogen ions in the earth is the acidity of the soil. There is a generally accepted pH scale that divides soil into six types from highly acidic (pH 4) to alkaline (pH 8). A neutral pH of 7 is the norm.

The piece of land that belongs to you initially has a predisposition to some type of acidity. It depends on the quality of the composition. Simply put, any land layer "genetically" has its own type, which can be changed by your actions. For example, black soil falls into the neutral group. Peat bogs, podzolic, gray forest land - acidic. How does this specificity come about? This is due to the peculiarity of the composition of the soil, which attracts or rejects certain elements.

Of course, acidity changes under the influence of external factors. If we talk about cultivated areas, then the farmer constantly applies mineral fertilizers, they provoke reactions leading to oxidation. There are other factors, for example, the ingress of technogenic substances with atmospheric precipitation, which also changes the pH.

Why acidity is important for the gardener

Many people think that the acidity of the soil is not so important for the garden. But when faced with an incomprehensible situation of poor plant growth, they wonder why … For example, you planted excellent seedlings, watered them regularly, fertilized them, but they withered and did not give a crop. The reason may be a mismatch in acidity values for your "pets".

The acidic earth does not allow the seedlings to fully feed, blocks the root system. This applies to many garden plants, although some people love exactly acidity, as a rule, these are ornamental shrubs and flowers. That is why experienced gardeners closely monitor these characteristics.

PH measurement methods

Acidity can be tested in different ways. The simplest, but time-consuming and costly, is a laboratory where a qualitative analysis will be carried out. You can do without these trips.

Analysis Instruments

You can buy a special pH tester and follow the instructions. For correct measurement, you need to remove a 5-centimeter layer of earth, make a hole, pour water into it, stir to make a slurry. Then measure with a probe for 2 minutes. An electrical pH tester works easier. There is no need to dig, it is enough to moisten the selected area and take measurements.

Litmus strips

Gardening enthusiasts usually use litmus strips sold in soil analysis kits (pet stores, gardening supplies). Litmus paper is easy to use. You will need a lump of earth from a depth of 20-30 cm. For an accurate study, it is better to collect earth from several places and from different depths.

From each lump, you need to take 2 tablespoons of soil and dilute in half a glass of water. It is advisable to use rainwater. Place a litmus test strip in the resulting gruel. The color blue and green is an alkaline reaction, pink and red is an indicator of acidity, the redder, the more acidic.

Measuring soil acidity with home methods

If accurate data is not fundamental for you and it is not possible to buy litmus and special devices, then use folk remedies. They will give a general idea of the condition of your land, which will be enough for a simple gardener.

1. Fence the land in the same way as for litmus strips. Then dilute the soil to a liquid suspension and put on the prepared glass, an old plate. Pour 9% vinegar over your sample. By the reaction taking place, you establish the state of your land. Small foam is neutral soil, no foam is acidic, abundant foam with gas evolution appears - alkaline.

2. Sour soil can be determined by watering it with vinegar diluted with soda water (in a glass of a pinch of baking soda). A violent reaction with hiss and foam will appear.

3. Prepare an infusion of black currant leaves: 7 leaves (chopped teaspoon) are placed in a glass. Poured with boiling water and kept under the lid for 20 minutes. Pour the cooled liquid into a jar or cut plastic bottle (transparent). Put a sample of the soil in the infusion. The color of the solution in a bluish tone is an indicator of weak acidity. If a greenish tint appears - a sign of neutral, red - sour.

4. You can use chalk for testing. For a spoonful of earth, you will need 4 tablespoons of water and one crushed chalk. Instead of chalk, you can take calcium gluconate (2 tablets). It is known that an alkaline compound forms a carbon dioxide outlet. For the experiment, place a sample of garden soil, chalk and water in a plastic bottle. Put a balloon, pacifier or plastic bag over the neck. To speed up the reaction, shake vigorously and wait for the result. If the balloon begins to inflate, it is acidic. The stronger the reaction, the more acidic the earth.

Now you are an erudite summer resident who has an idea of the acidity of the soil and knows how to do the analysis yourself and determine the condition of the earth.