Most soils are naturally between 3.5 and 10 pH. A pH of 7 is neutral. Anything less than 7 is acidic, and a number higher than 7 means your soil is alkaline. <\/p>
Taking into account your soil’s acidity, how well it drains and the aspect (full sun<\/a>, semi-shade or shade<\/a>) is the best way to grow plants, as you can be confident that you are growing the plants that best suit your garden.<\/p> More on <\/strong><\/p> How to use soil pH testers<\/strong><\/p> There are several ways to test the pH of your soil, but these days the most accurate and easy is buying a soil pH meter or tester. Soil pH testers are usually a little probe that you push into the soil, or soil sample. You need to look at the manufacturer’s guidance for exactly how deep it needs to be and whether you need to do anything specific according to the one you have bought, but mostly you then just wait for the probe to offer up an answer. There are also soil pH testers that double up as moisture meters<\/a> and other things. We’ve rounded up a few of those below. <\/p> If you’re looking for a more traditional way of checking your soil pH, you can also use soil testing kits, which have pH strips and use a chemical solution that will change colour according to the pH in your soil. You can only use the strip once. <\/p> Do soil pH meters work? <\/strong><\/p> In short, yes: generally the technology behind pH soil testers is reliable and you can trust a soil pH meter, although we’d always recommend doing a few tests, to make sure your tester is offering up the same answer each time. <\/p> This nifty, 3-in1 digital soil pH tester is clear and easy to use. We particularly like the large LCD display, which makes it very easy to take a reading. The tester measures temperature, soil pH as well as humidity and it needs two AAA batteries. <\/p> This single probe soil pH tester needs to go into the soil around ten centimetres and for ten seconds. You can also use this tester inside and outside, which means you can use it for your houseplants too! The manufacturers do warn to avoid pushing it into dry soil as you might damage the probe. <\/p> This is a pH tester kit that doesn’t rely on digital technology, but uses old fashioned test tube testing and strips. <\/p> You need purified water – which doesn’t come with the test – but once you have that, all you need to do. is pop soil in the test tubes and use droppers to drop water on the test strips provided. There are enough test strips for 200 soil pH tests.<\/p> Included in the pack are: 2 bottles (200 soil pH test strips in total), 3 plastic test tube, 6 plastic droppers, 1 guide. <\/p> This remarkably nifty device is able to take five different measurements all in one. As well as a soil pH tester, it also monitors soil moisture and temperature. Plus, it measures the environment’s humidity and light intensity.\u00a0<\/p> This soil pH tester has a backlit LCD screen, unlike many other pH soil testers, which makes it easy to read even in the dark.\u00a0<\/p> It should come up with results just 10 seconds after you insert the probe, and you can switch between \u00b0C\/\u00b0F on the temperature scale.\u00a0<\/p> Remember to buy four AAA batteries<\/a> if you choose this product.\u00a0<\/p> Buy from Crocus (\u00a312.99)<\/a> and Waitrose Garden (\u00a312.99)<\/a><\/p> This soil pH tester does two things in one: tests the soil pH as well as the moisture, and you flick between readings using a single switch. It’s sold at Crocus<\/a> and Waitrose Garden<\/a>, and is a popular choice. \u00a0<\/p> This meter comes with two probes and you don\u2019t need any batteries to get started.<\/p>The best soil pH testers to buy for your garden<\/h2>
Soil pH tester 3-in-1<\/h3>
Soil pH tester strips kit<\/h3>
![\"Soil](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2023\/08\/Screenshot-2023-08-31-at-13.07.03.png\")
<\/figure>5-in-1 Digital Plant Soil pH Tester\u00a0<\/h3>
![\"5-in-1](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2023\/07\/5-in-1-Digital-Plant-Soil-Moisture-Meter.jpg\")
<\/figure>Soil pH meter and moisture meter<\/h3>
![\"Moisture](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2023\/07\/Moisture-and-PH-meter.jpg\")
<\/figure>3-in-1 Soil pH meter<\/h3>
![\"3-in-1](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2023\/07\/3-in-1-Soil-Dirt-Moisture-Damp-Water-PH-Light-Meter.jpg\")
<\/figure>![\"Soil](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2023\/07\/Soil-Moisture-Meter-for-Garden.jpg\")
<\/figure>