Soil ph test

[Mikey & Annie]

We bought a soil ph testing probe. The perplexing thing is that despite adding plenty of well rotted manure and compost every autumn, the ph dial seems always to show alkaline.

Everything seems to grow well, but we do get some clubroot on brassicas. We were going to lime the brassica bed for next year this autumn, but given this presence of clubroot we expected acidic soil.

Any suggestions?

[johnmichael]

Need to pay £100+for a decent ph meter,i always manure one year and lime the next.

[Mikey & Annie]

Thanks, ours cost about £14. Everything seems to be growing just fine so the soil ph cannot be what the meter says it is.

[aquaponicworld]

I've always found the chemical testing kits the best and cheaper

[Mikey & Annie]

Thanks, think we'll try one of those chemical ones.

[johnmarsh]

Originally Posted by Mikey & Annie

We bought a soil ph testing probe. The perplexing thing is that despite adding plenty of well rotted manure and compost every autumn, the ph dial seems always to show alkaline.

Everything seems to grow well, but we do get some clubroot on brassicas. We were going to lime the brassica bed for next year this autumn, but given this presence of clubroot we expected acidic soil.

Any suggestions?

Ph is very important is soil and right Ph level in soil is 6Ph to 7Ph

[solway cropper]

Originally Posted by johnmarsh

Ph is very important is soil and right Ph level in soil is 6Ph to 7Ph

unless you want to grow blueberries

going back to the OP I'd agree that those cheap probes are useless so I always use a chemical kit. A bit more of a faff but accurate.

[kaleinger]

What's the highest (most alkaline) pH blueberries are still happy with? 6? Or do they need even less than that?

[airconednightmare]

4-5 is ideal, maybe 5.5 at a push so peat, pine needles, ericaceous compost etc to the rescue

[kaleinger]

Wow, that's really acidic, will definitely have to amend my soil. Thanks!

[solway cropper]

My soil is slightly alkaline so I grow blueberries in large pots with the bottoms cut out and sunk into the ground. They are filled with a mix of commercial ericaceous compost and moss peat and before I put them in the ground I dug in more peat and pine needles into the bottom of the hole.