This is something that I've found many gardeners do not do. Many of us only plant the fairly simple and robust plants that grow almost anywhere. But still even those plants have their own comfort zone. So it's a good idea to have an idea of where your soil resides on the pH scale.
Sure you can buy test strips or even pH meters. But for the more frugally minded there is another way.
I'm sure that almost everyone learned of the reaction between baking soda and vinegar when they were in grade school science class. Well you can use the same two ingredents to test the pH of your soil.
First step is to grab one cup of your soil from different areas of your garden. Then remove two spoonfuls and put them in a separate container. As 1/2 cup of vinegar to that first cup. If it fizzes you have alkaline soil (generally between 8 and a low 9) if nothing happens take the other container of soil and add distilled water to it until it is muddy. Yes it's an expense to buy the distilled water if you don't typically use it. But will keep for a very long time and can be used for a great many other things.
Once it's like mud water add 1/2 cup of baking soda. If it fizzes then you're looking at an acidic soil between 5 and 6.
From there, if you're wanting to plant seeds that like to reside in the other part of the scale you have a couple of options. Adding bio matter to your soil will generally bring it back to center regardless of which side of the scale it resides. From there you can treat your soil with compost. What kind of compost? Well if you're trying to move it more alkaline then you can mix your compost with wood ash (only wood ash. No left overs from your charcoal) it doesn't take much as wood ash is very alkaline.
If you're trying to move it to the acidic side of the scale you can add grass clippings to your compost pile as they tend to be pretty acidic.
There are also chemicals that are perfectly safe that you can add. But we're talking about ways to do this on a budget.
But remember. Most soil will generally try to revert back to its natural pH. So ya need to keep on it and test at least right after you break up the ground before planting to stay on top of things.
Sure you can buy test strips or even pH meters. But for the more frugally minded there is another way.
I'm sure that almost everyone learned of the reaction between baking soda and vinegar when they were in grade school science class. Well you can use the same two ingredents to test the pH of your soil.
First step is to grab one cup of your soil from different areas of your garden. Then remove two spoonfuls and put them in a separate container. As 1/2 cup of vinegar to that first cup. If it fizzes you have alkaline soil (generally between 8 and a low 9) if nothing happens take the other container of soil and add distilled water to it until it is muddy. Yes it's an expense to buy the distilled water if you don't typically use it. But will keep for a very long time and can be used for a great many other things.
Once it's like mud water add 1/2 cup of baking soda. If it fizzes then you're looking at an acidic soil between 5 and 6.
From there, if you're wanting to plant seeds that like to reside in the other part of the scale you have a couple of options. Adding bio matter to your soil will generally bring it back to center regardless of which side of the scale it resides. From there you can treat your soil with compost. What kind of compost? Well if you're trying to move it more alkaline then you can mix your compost with wood ash (only wood ash. No left overs from your charcoal) it doesn't take much as wood ash is very alkaline.
If you're trying to move it to the acidic side of the scale you can add grass clippings to your compost pile as they tend to be pretty acidic.
There are also chemicals that are perfectly safe that you can add. But we're talking about ways to do this on a budget.
But remember. Most soil will generally try to revert back to its natural pH. So ya need to keep on it and test at least right after you break up the ground before planting to stay on top of things.
