Sometimes it happens that even with very good care - timely watering and fertilizing, loosening and weeding - garden and garden plants in the suburban area develop poorly. Quite often, the cause of such a problem is the inappropriate acidity of the soil. To determine how much the indicators of the land in the country correspond to those recommended for growing garden crops, you can use a special electrical device - a pH meter. Such equipment on the modern market is presented in a fairly wide range.
Design Features
All devices of this type supplied to the modern market are extremely easy to use. In order to determine the characteristics of the soil on the site in terms of acidity using such equipment, in any case, you do not need to have a diploma from an agricultural university.
Each such device is supplied by the manufacturer with detailed instructions on the rules of operation. In any case, the mainthe structural elements of any electronic pH meter are:
- probe (or several);
- data display panel.
In cheap devices of this type, a mechanical display with an arrow is usually provided. More expensive devices are complemented by electronic screens. In some cases, pH measuring devices can be powered by conventional Krona batteries. However, most of the models on the market today operate on solar photovoltaic cells.
Also on the market today there are 3 in 1 soil pH meters designed to measure simultaneously acidity, light and moisture. Such devices are also distinguished by their accuracy of readings and at the same time are quite inexpensive.
How it works
In order to find out the acidity, moisten a small piece of earth on the test site. Next, let the soil soak for a few minutes. Then you need to stick the probe of the device into the wet ground and look at its scoreboard. Determine the pH of the soil according to the indicators on the instrument panel:
- 4.5-5 - strongly acidic earth;
- 5-6 - slightly acidic;
- 6-7 - neutral, ideal for growing most crops;
- 8 - alkaline.
To get a more accurate acidity reading on a large enough piece of land, you should:
-
take samples at several locations in the test area;
- pour all the earth into plasticcup;
- dilute the soil in a container with distilled water.
Next, the probe of the device should be placed in the earthen "slurry" in a cup.
Working principle
How do such devices measure soil pH? The operation of such devices is based on the potentiometric method for determining acidity, discovered in 1889 by W alter Nernst. This researcher was the first to write down the equation of the relationship between the activity of ions in solution and the electromotive force.
In essence, therefore, modern pH meters are electronic millivoltmeters that measure the potential difference in the medium under study, in which they are placed. The only thing is that the scale in such devices is not graduated in millivolts, but in pH.
Most Popular Models Overview
Today you can buy a soil pH meter in almost any store specializing in the sale of goods for gardeners. Many companies, both domestic and foreign, supply such equipment to the market today.
Judging by the reviews of gardeners available on the Web, the most accurate and easy-to-use pH meters at the moment are:
- Green Belt.
- Planet Garden.
- Shanwen Y122.
- Garden Planet.
- KS-300.
All of these models can now be purchased both in regular gardening stores and online.
Green MetersBelt"
The main advantages of this model, consumers consider low cost and no need to use batteries. In this case, the Green Belt device can be used to determine not only the pH of the soil itself, but also the illumination, as well as humidity.
Soil tests are carried out on the site using this equipment according to standard technology. The advantages of these pH and soil moisture meters include, among other things, the accuracy of the readings, as well as the reliability of the design. The manufacturer of Green Belt devices is the Russian company Technoexport LLC.
Planet Garden appliances
Devices of this brand are also designed to measure soil acidity, light and humidity. There are two probes in their design. These two tubes form a galvanic pair. Therefore, batteries are also not needed for such a device.
The display of the Planet Garden soil pH meters is provided with an arrow. Also on the body of the device there is a slider, when moved to a certain position, the device measures acidity, light or humidity. Models of this brand cost about 500 rubles. That is, absolutely any summer resident can afford such a meter in Russia.
The manufacturer of electronic soil pH meters of this brand is the Russian company of the same name. At the same time, the actual assembly of Planet Garden devices is made in China. Despite the fact that such devices are made by the Chinese, judging by the reviews, they are still reliable.
Shanwen Y122 review
This meter is also complemented by a scoreboard with an arrow. At the same time, acidity, light and humidity readings can be read from the screen. As noted by Web users in their reviews, the advantages of the Shanwen Y122 device, among other things, include high measurement accuracy. This device also has two probes. Batteries are not required for this device.
Models KS-300
Devices of this brand, unlike those described above, operate on batteries. They only have one probe. This model has been supplied to the domestic market for quite a long time and has proven to be quite accurate and durable. Consumers consider the need for a fairly frequent change of batteries to be a disadvantage of the KS-300 electronic pH meters. Discharges their device, unfortunately, quickly enough.
The scoreboard of this device is electronic. The indicators are displayed in the form of numbers. With a partial discharge of the batteries, unfortunately, judging by the reviews, these models may not give very accurate readings. Krona elements are used for the operation of devices of this brand. The advantages of these devices for monitoring the pH on the site, like most other mobile devices available on the market today, consumers also attribute a rather low cost.
Measuring Tips
Determine the acidity of the soil modern pH meters, thus, quite accurately. However, in order to obtain correct data, certain rules must be observed when using such devices:
- probes of the device should always be clean (wipe them dry before use);
- immerse the probe of the device relies on the full depth.
Experienced gardeners are also advised to test on the plots using such devices at least 2-3 times. From the results obtained, the arithmetic mean should be derived. In this way, soil acidity can be measured most accurately. In addition, as experienced summer residents recommend, when performing the procedure for determining acidity, in no case should you touch the ground and the probes of the device with your hands. This may also affect the readings of the device. After taking measurements, the probes of the device, of course, need to be washed.
Of course, it is recommended to measure the pH in different places on the site. Even not a small area, acidity indicators can vary greatly. Usually summer residents conduct research on a plot reserved for potatoes (in several places), beds with vegetables, in a greenhouse, on a lawn, in a place where berry bushes and fruit trees are grown.
How to raise or lower soil pH
Measuring the acidity of the soil on the site using a modern pH meter is thus easy. It is believed that the most favorable indicators of soil acidity for growing plants are, as already mentioned, 6-7 pH. If there are deviations in the readings of the meter up or down, the land on the site must be improved before planting garden crops.
You can reduce the acidity of the soil, for example, by adding slaked lime, chalk or dolomite flour to it. In order to make the soil less alkaline, calcium sulfate (gypsum) is usually used. Also, for this purpose, granulated sulfur is often used in suburban areas. This material is supposed to be introduced into alkaline soil gradually in small doses with an interval of three or more months. You can't break this technology. Otherwise, the soil on the site can simply be spoiled.
