How to independently determine the acidity of the soil on the site

Before planting trees or trees, it is necessary to study which soil will be most favorable for them.

In our article we will describe how to determine the acidity of the soil independently, since it is this indicator that has a serious impact on the development of crops.

Types of acidity

The acidity of the earth is one of the important indicators in the analysis of soil. It is measured in pH, the scale ranges from 0 to 14.

There are three types of acidity:

• slightly acidic (soil, which is higher than pH7);
• neutral (soil, which is equal to pH7);
• acidic (soil lower than pH7).

The amount of lime in the soil affects the level of acidity. With small amounts of lime, the earth is likely to be acidic.

For most crops, a neutral or slightly acidic soil is more suitable.

How to determine the level at home?

To plant a plant on the "right" site, you need to know how to determine the acidity of the soil at home.

Vinegar

The easiest way to find out the pH of the soil is to use vinegar. To do this, pour a few drops on a handful of earth.

If you see that small bubbles appear on it, this indicates that it is neutral or non-acidic, that is, it is quite suitable for planting plants.

Grape juice

To check the pH in this way, you will need a glass of grape juice and a lump of soil.

It is necessary to lower the ground into the glass and observe the reaction: if the color of the juice begins to change, bubbles will appear on the surface, this indicates neutrality of the soil.

Indicator stripes

Not everyone knows how to check the acidity of the soil at home with the help of indicator strips. This is a very convenient way, since they can be purchased at any specialized store or pharmacy.

Litmus paper impregnated with a special reagent,whose color varies with pH. Typically, the packaging shows a scale of colors, on which you can determine the pH level.

To carry out the experiment, it is necessary to wrap a handful of earth in several layers of gauze and put it in a container with purified distilled water. After that, it is necessary to shake well the container so that the salts from the soil are well dissolved in the water. After that, it is necessary to lower the litmus test for several seconds into the container. Soon its color will change, and then it will be possible to determine the pH level from the table.

Red cabbage

Consider how to find out the acidity of the soil on the site with the help of red cabbage. To do this, finely chop the cabbage head. We need a decoction, by changing the color of which upon contact with the ground, we can find out the level of acidity.

Cabbage must be boiled in distilled water for 10 minutes. After that, the broth is filtered. Violet juice has a neutral pH.

We proceed to the procedure. To do this, pour the juice into a cup and place a spoonful of earth in it. Then you need to wait about 30 minutes and look at the color of the juice. If it remains unchanged - purple, then the pH of the soil is neutral. If the juice has become pink, it means sour soil. The richer the color, the higher. The presence of blue or green color indicates the neutrality of the soil. If the color is bright green - the soil has a high alkalinity.

other methods

There are other methods for determining the pH level. Consider them.

Appearance

Try to determine the level of pH can be in appearance. If you notice that the water in the pits has a rusty shade and a rainbow film, and after it is absorbed, there is a brown precipitate on the surface, this indicates a high acidity of the soil.

Also a sign of acidic earth is the presence of whitish layers at a shallow depth.

Over weeds

You can determine the pH level by weeds that grow on the soil. Plantain, spikelet, ivan-da-maria, horsetail, cornflower, heather feel well on sour soil.

Weakly acidic soil allows good development of such weeds: alfalfa, mountaineer, wood lice, burdock, sow thistle, dog rose.

Nettle, clover, quinoa and bindweed grow well on alkaline soil.

Acid meter

You can determine the pH level using the device. You can buy it in special stores.

Depending on the level of acidity, the arrow will show certain data. Features of the device are presented in the instructions.

Acidity adjustment

If you want to reduce the acidity of the soil, it is necessary to dig up the soil in the fall and add lime or wood ash to it.

To reduce alkalinity, it is necessary to add a little organic matter to the ground: peat, rotted leaves, pine needles.

There are a number of plants that feel more comfortable not in the soil with an average acidity. For example, for conifers it is better to choose the soil more abandoned.That is why in the summer cottage it is necessary to artificially create sectors of a certain acidity for different plants. After reading the article, you know how to determine the acidic soil or not. Pay special attention to this moment, since the efficiency of cultivation depends largely on the quality and compliance of the soil with the requirements of the plants.