Every gardening guide or manual will always tell you to test your soil before you begin gardening. One of the primary types of tests that your land goes through is testing for PH levels. You can get a professional to do it for you, or you can invest in an Instrument Choice soil PH tester and do it yourself. Either way will do. But among the two, many people seem to be critical about using a soil pH tester. Some even claim that it isn’t as accurate as other soil pH-measuring options. However, is it true that it has some accuracy issues? Find out as you continue reading this article.
Getting to Know the Soil pH Tester
Soil testing is a scientific process that can be done using three different types of soil pH testers:
- Chemical coloured dyes
- Electronic meters
- Indicator test strips.
In every type of soil pH tester, you take a small sample of your soil and mix it with either distilled water or a buffer solution. The latter can be provided by the product itself. Get to know each of these pH soil testers and determine which one offers the most accurate readings and results.
Chemical Coloured Dyes
Coloured dyes are soil pH testers that are mixed with the soil water. The resulting colour is then examined and compared with other soil colours. Results are also compared to a chart that determines the accurate pH level of the sample soil. Among the three, this option is the least used as it contains a variety of different factors that can alter the results and make your readings a lot more inaccurate.
Electronic pH Meter
This type of Instrument Choice soil pH tester is known as the best and most accurate type among the three. It features a probe that’s inserted into the moist soil. Through this simple process, you can then get an accurate pH levels that’s displayed onto a screen. Less expensive electronic pH meters come with a metallic probe that can be inserted directly onto the soil. While they’re the easier and more convenient option, you will still get inaccurate readings if you forget to make the water solution indicated in the previous section. But if you do, then know that this isn’t just the most convenient option, but also the most accurate among the bunch.
For the third and final Instrument Choice soil pH tester, we have test strips. Click here to learn more about it and access the full version of this article.