Soil Testing

[GavinH]

Hi
Can anyone recommend a soil testing kit, there seems to be an abundance of electronic verses chemical options ?.
Gavin

[GavinH]

[SilverApple]

Jam jar filled 3/4 with water,  add soil to top, shake really well and allow to settle.  May take a while ( a few days) depending upon your clay content.

The sand will settle first followed by silt and lastly the clay, then you can read the layers and the percentage split gives you the basic soil type.

Hope this is what you were looking for and not ph soil testers!  ::) 'Though I think there is a 'homemade' way to do that aswell.

[Tee Gee]

Though I think there is a 'homemade' way to do that as well.

I think this might be the method you are referring to;

To make the testing kit just boil some red cabbage in water until cooked drain the liquid into a bowl and cool (eat the cabbage as normal!)

When cooled pop a table spoon of soil in half a cup of water (fresh)and stir until it is suspended in the water, add 3 mm of the cabbage water.

If it goes purplish red with a slight tinge of blue then it is neutral soil
greenish - yellow is VERY alkaline and
VERY red is acid.

I don't know if it is reliable as I have never used it. I just saved the information in case I get around to trying it some time.