Soil Acidity test Simple DIY

>> YOUR LINK HERE: ___ http://youtube.com/watch?v=jegtia_ewZA

Testing the acidity (or lack thereof, in this case) of our soil. • Clay is traditionally basic. I taught people this at Wasatch Shadows for many years. This test reinforces that knowledge. • Materials used: • 2 containers of soil • RO water • Baking soda • White vinegar • Procedure: • Combine RO (or distilled) water with the soil samples • Combine baking soda with one sample • Combine vinegar with other sample • Interpreting the results: • If the baking soda sample bubbles, the soil is acidic and will need an alkaline product to be added to the soil (such as lime / crushed limestone, or wood ash). • If the vinegar sample bubbles, the soil is alkaline and will need an acidic product to be added to the soil (such as brown peat moss, coffee grounds, sulfur). • Why it matters: • Nutrient availability depends on the pH of the soil. If the soil is too acidic or too alkaline, the nutrients will be chemically unavailable to the plant. • Compost and microbial activity helps to balance the pH. • Utah soils are notorious for sucking the life out of plants due to the high pH which locks out iron. Our soils have plenty of iron in them, the pH of the clay is preventing the plant from being able to absorb that iron. We need to break up the clay and improve drainage; compost (store bought or homemade) will help do this. • • Image credits: • pH chart, • https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kq5iWqX0zJ... • Availability of nutrients chart, • http://www.limbebz.com/wp-content/upl...

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