If you’re planning to grow a healthy and thriving garden, it’s important to understand the pH level of your soil. Soil pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of the soil, and it affects the ability of plants to absorb nutrients. Fortunately, testing your soil’s pH level doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. In fact, you can use a common household item – potatoes – to do the job.
Here’s how to use potatoes to test the pH of your garden soil:
- Choose a spot in your garden where you want to test the soil pH. Dig a small hole that’s about 6 inches deep.
- Take a handful of soil from the bottom of the hole and place it in a container.
- Peel a potato and cut it into small pieces. Add the potato pieces to the container with the soil.
- Add enough water to the container to cover the soil and potato pieces. Let the mixture sit for 24 hours.
- After 24 hours, remove the potato pieces from the container. The water in the container should have changed color. Compare the color of the water to the chart below to determine the pH level of your soil.
- If the water is blue, the soil is acidic with a pH level between 4.0 and 5.2.
- If the water is green, the soil is slightly acidic with a pH level between 5.2 and 6.0.
- If the water is yellow, the soil is neutral with a pH level between 6.0 and 7.0.
- If the water is brown, the soil is alkaline with a pH level between 7.0 and 8.0.
If the pH level of your soil is outside of the ideal range for the plants you want to grow, you can take steps to adjust it. For example, if your soil is too acidic, you can add lime or wood ash to increase the pH level. If your soil is too alkaline, you can add sulfur or peat moss to lower the pH level.
In conclusion, testing the pH level of your garden soil is an important step in ensuring the health and success of your plants. By using potatoes to test the pH level, you can save money and get accurate results. So, give it a try and see what your soil pH level is!