Different Ways To Do A Soil pH Test

What Is Soil pH

Soil pH is the level of acidity or alkalinity in our lawn and garden soils. All plants have a preferred pH level where they will thrive, and once soil goes outside of this preferred comfort zone - the plant, or lawn will begin to suffer and become weakened.

Soil health is the single most important element in achieving a strong healthy lawn, and for anyone interested in having a beautiful lawn - a soil pH test really is the very best and first place to begin.

The ideal pH for most lawns sits at the sweet spot of around 6.5, if your lawn soil returns a result below 6, or above 7 then action needs to be taken to bring the soil back to good lawn health so our lawns can once again thrive with the greatest chance of success. Repairs are easy, but we need to know the pH of our lawns first, so lets do that now.

Home Soil Test Kits

Test kits are readily available in many different shops which sell garden products and will usually retail for somewhere around $10.00 - 15.00.

The test is done by taking a small soil sample from underneath the lawn and then mixing the supplied solution from the kit to the soil sample on a tray. The treated soil is then left for a short time..

After waiting for the specified time period, the soil will have changed colour, and is now cross referenced with the supplied colour chart to determine the pH of the soil.

Electronic Soil pH Testers

Electronic pH soil testers are another option to consider to test soil conditions underneath our lawns. These products can be a good option for many people who like to monitor their soil and sod health regularly over the life of their lawn.

The testing procedure is very simple, and works by pushing the metal probe of the device through the turf and into the soil, the pH reading is then displayed on the attached electronic display.

Price can be one consideration with electronic soil testers, they are a greater outlay than a simple soil test kit. On the positive side - one outlay will serve the homeowner for many years with very simple testing procedures.

Potential Inaccuracies of Home Soil Testing

Some home pH tests can be inaccurate, and they can often be read wrongly, or even performed wrongly by the homeowner, and it's for these reasons that we suggest the homeowner to consider having their lawn scientifically tested in a laboratory with Soil Analysis which are exact and true and far more affordable than most people will realise.

Lawn Soil Analysis - Cheaper Than You Think

Lawn soil analysis is carried out in a lab from a sample of soil which the homeowner takes from their lawn. The soil is scientifically analysed with results and recommendations provided by the lab back to the homeowner.

The greatest advantage of having a soil analysis done is the total accuracy of the results, which the homeowner than fully trust and work with to solve lawn soil problems.

For full details and loads of informative downloadable information, including price lists and sample soil results, head over to our Lawn Expert Blog section and have a read of Todd Layt's excellent post on this subject.

Included in this Lawn Expert post are special Discounted Prices for readers of The Lawn Guide.