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 mins
Total Time5 minutes mins
Course: DIY Gardening
Cuisine: Soil pH
Keyword: diy gardening, soil ph
Yield: 1
Cost: $2
- 2 tbsp soil from your garden
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 1 tsp distilled water optional, only if needed
- 1/2 cup baking soda
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!).