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How to Test Soil pH Without a Kit

Testing soil pH without a kit is actually quite simple and all you need are a couple of ingredients that you probably already have in your home!
Prep Time5 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Course: DIY Gardening
Cuisine: Soil pH
Keyword: diy gardening, soil ph
Yield: 1
Cost: $2

Materials

  • 2 tbsp soil from your garden
  • 1/2 cup vinegar
  • 1 tsp distilled water optional, only if needed
  • 1/2 cup baking soda

Instructions

  • Start by collecting soil samples from different areas in your garden.
  • Put about 2 spoonfuls of soil into different containers.
  • Add 1/2 cup vinegar to the soil. If it fizzes, you have alkaline soil, with a pH between 7 and 8.
  • If it doesn't fizz, add a little bit of distilled water to the other container of soil – just enough to make it muddy.
  • To that, add 1/2 cup of baking soda. If it fizzes, you have acidic soil, with a pH between 5 and 6.
  • If the soil doesn't react to either vinegar or baking soda, you have neutral soil (which is the best soil to have!).

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