Testing Soil Acidity

This is an easy way to test your garden spot for acidity.

You’ll need: 2 glass jars, a tablespoon, some vinegar and some baking soda. Here’s what you do:

Scoop up a couple of tablespoonfuls of soil from the surface of your garden, then dig two or three deep and scoop another couple of tablespoonfuls. Mix this soil thoroughly with one tablespoon of water, and then put two tablespoons of this wet soil in the first glass jar.

In a separate container, mix a tablespoon of baking soda with two tablespoons of water. Pour this mixture into the soil and watch closely. If the soil bubbles freely or fizzes, it’s acidic. If there is extreme fizzing, it could cause a problem with growing some plants.

If it didn’t bubble at all, you might have alkaline soil. Pour the remaining soil in the other empty jar and pour a tablespoon of either white or apple cider vinegar into it. If it fizzes, that means the soil is more alkaline than acidic and could cause problems for your garden.

If your soil is acidic, add clean wood ash to balance it. If it’s alkaline, a simple spray of a tablespoon of vinegar in a quart of water over bare ground before planting will help.

There are many other soil amendments, both natural and not, but use them sparingly. Just because a little is good doesn’t mean a lot is better. It’s better to err on the frugal size. Check with your local agriculture extension agent for advice particular to your area or type of soil.