Soil Testing

General tips / questions on seeding & planting

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KG Tony
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Just curious to know if any forum members regularly test their soil before planting - ie the pH level - or do you just chance it?

If you do test it, what kit do you use for testing? Anything you would particularly recommend?
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Pa Snip
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I usually test various parts of the plot , using either tablet colour check test kit or a electronic dip method.

I do this at end of season in order to improve soil as required ready for next year. However over the past 5 years I have never had a result other than 7.0 at any point on the plot
The exception to that is that I test the new rotational brassica bed area at the beginning of the season in order to gauge how much lime may be required

The danger when people start to believe their own publicity is that they often fall off their own ego.

At least travelling under the guise of the Pa Snip Enterprise gives me an excuse for appearing to be on another planet
tigerburnie
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Never tested any soil in over 60 years of gardening, so I'm either lucky or it doesn't actually matter too much when growing veg. I am aware of certain groups of plants require acidic/ericaceous soil, so I don't bother growing them.
Been gardening for over 65 years and still learning.
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Pa Snip
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tigerburnie wrote:Never tested any soil in over 60 years of gardening, so I'm either lucky or it doesn't actually matter too much when growing veg. I am aware of certain groups of plants require acidic/ericaceous soil, so I don't bother growing them.


Seems a shame to me if people don't attempt growing brassicas.
Many of the plotholders on our site seem to have failed in the past and have now given up trying to grow Sprouts, Calabrese, Purple sprouting Broccoli or Cauliflower. The difference in taste compared to shop purchased makes some small effort in actually testing soil so worth while

The danger when people start to believe their own publicity is that they often fall off their own ego.

At least travelling under the guise of the Pa Snip Enterprise gives me an excuse for appearing to be on another planet
tigerburnie
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I grow brassicas on occasion Pa, but gave up liming soil religiously(as used to be done by seemingly all gardeners in the 1960's) and as long as the ground is firm, they grow well enough, it's the butterflies and their caterpillars that made me give up for a while, now I'm retired I have the time to check for eggs daily.
Been gardening for over 65 years and still learning.
Colin2016
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At the beginning I brought one of those 2 pronged gauges for testing soil/temp, but after reading about no dig came to the conclusion that testing soil not a bit issue. No problem growing brassicas or any other veg in first year.

This is second sowing of brassicas only issue I had at first was soil was too loose so stamped around the plants when planting which seems to have worked.
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Westi
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I tested for the first few years but not recently, but have been thinking I really should give it a go to see if there has been any changes from the years of working & manuring it, particularly as the manure comes from various sources. It was previously neutral & is very sandy still despite the annual manure.

I don't worry about the brassica's too much as the club resistant varieties grow well, in fact I currently have cauliflower overload of Clapton & they just got a sprinkle of lime (unmeasured) more from habit than necessity I think. I will just buy a cheap tablet one as they seem to work OK & I probably won't test it again for several years.
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Geoff
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When I was at work I tested for pH fairly frequently as I could just shake some soil up with water in a bottle and use the accurate meter in the lab at work. Means I haven't tested for over 11 years. Uncultivated areas were very acidic but the veg beds eventually got to about neutral or just alkaline by using plenty of lime (we used it in a process at work so could buy it quite cheaply). Since I stopped testing I've just routinely limed the brassica beds. Isn't lime strange to purchase, prices are all over the place considering it is such a basic (sorry about that) commodity. I think the cheap meters sold for gardening are a waste of time, far too inaccurate, and the colour systems require a fair bit of imagination, access to a proper calibrated and maintained meter is the only way.
I have never analysed for anything else like NPK or trace elements which are probably more important than simple pH. Something once made me think my soil was short of phosphate and I do think since I started using superphosphate things have grown better. I often use a combination of fish, blood and bone with added superphosphate and potash. I've also used seaweed meal from time to time just in case I lack any trace elements.
PLUMPUDDING
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I don't test mine very often, but use one of the spike type meters. It does give varying readings around the garden and tends to be slightly acidic. I haven't been able to obtain any manure for a few years but add lots of home made compost plus blood fish and bone and organic extra which has seaweed in it, and lime on the brassica beds. I apply the fertilizers throughout the season if I think the plants need a boost.

I have used one of the little phials and colour chart but found it fiddly.

I get my lime from a farm supplies shop, but they say they don't have any lime unless I ask for it by another name. I'd been told they didn't have lime but saw lots of bags in their warehouse when I was getting the hen food so know what to ask for now.
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Diane
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I've never tested either. When we had an allotment I took note of what grew well in other folk's patches and followed suit. In the garden I know we have slightly acid soil as I can grow really good blue hydrangeas and healthy looking camellias.
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