Compact Soil pH Meter for Quick Assessments

A compact soil pH meter with a built-in moisture sensor, supplied with a carrying case for quick assessments in the field. Checking a point in the soil takes only seconds, and acting on the readings can greatly improve the health and development of grass and plants; in extreme cases it can give early warning before problems take hold and save plants and grass from dying.

Key Features

• Measures soil pH and moisture content
• Generates its own current when in contact with the soil, so no chemicals, distilled water or external power source such as a battery are needed
• Very simple to use: insert the electrode into the soil and read the pH a few minutes later
• Compact, attractive design that is easy to carry
• Supplied with a carrying case

Why Test Soil pH

For soil to absorb fertiliser properly, acidic soil needs to be neutralised with lime or a lime-based fertiliser. Applying too much lime, however, causes manganese deficiency that can leave the soil completely infertile. Before any lime treatment it is therefore advisable to establish the soil's acidity (its pH) as a basis for deciding how much lime to add. This meter makes that simple and has been used successfully by many market gardeners. A perfectly neutral soil has a pH of 7, and the instrument should always show this value before readings are taken.

How to Use

1. Remove the meter from its case and check that the needle points to pH 7. If it does not, take off the cover and glass window and carefully turn the adjusting screw clockwise or anticlockwise as needed.
2. The electrode is delicate. Clean it carefully with water and dry it with a clean cloth before and after use, as readings will otherwise be inaccurate. After cleaning, do not let the electrodes touch anything, including your hands, since even slight perspiration will affect the readings.
3. Fill the soil holder with the soil to be tested and pack it so the whole electrode surface will be in contact with it. Push the instrument into the soil until the silver-coloured electrodes are fully covered, then turn it two or three times about its long axis to ensure good contact. Black earth, clay, loam and similar soils should show a moisture content between 50 and 70% on the meter. If the soil is too wet, press out water until the moisture content is at least 50%. Humus-rich soil may read higher, often exceeding 100%. If the soil is too dry the pH cannot be measured; moisten it first with distilled water and take readings after about 2 hours.
4. To measure moisture content, press the white button and read the value straight away. After use, clean the electrodes thoroughly with water and wipe them with a dry cloth. Normal cultivated soil will rarely have a moisture content below 30%, as is the case with dry sand, for example.
5. The needle takes about three minutes to settle, after which the pH can be read. Do not leave the meter in the soil for more than 5 minutes, to avoid unnecessary corrosion of the electrodes.

Specifications

What's Included

• Soil pH meter with built-in moisture sensor
• Carrying case