Using a meter to check PH

Has anyone used such devices and if so which would you recommend and why?

Within this thread https://permies.com/t/71616/Ph-Meter there is a link https://www.hogentogler.com/ph-meters/pocket-ph-meters.asp to some meters.

More info concerning PH found here https://permies.com/t/52758/test-garden-soil-pH-balance with the link found here https://www.milkwood.net/2014/03/17/how-to-test-your-garden-soils-ph-and-balance-it-for-a-better-veggie-harvest/

Id like to have at the very least a basic idea of what my PH level is and be able to check it as often and wherever Id like. After knowing this I can expound from there.

Jason Walter wrote:Has anyone used such devices and if so which would you recommend and why?

Within this thread https://permies.com/t/71616/Ph-Meter there is a link https://www.hogentogler.com/ph-meters/pocket-ph-meters.asp to some meters.

More info concerning PH found here https://permies.com/t/52758/test-garden-soil-pH-balance with the link found here https://www.milkwood.net/2014/03/17/how-to-test-your-garden-soils-ph-and-balance-it-for-a-better-veggie-harvest/

Id like to have at the very least a basic idea of what my PH level is and be able to check it as often and wherever Id like. After knowing this I can expound from there.

If you are against this sort of testing please explain why. I understand that the soil in general is constantly evolving and I also understand that specific areas where I have amended the soil to plant my trees is not going to reflect the same values as the soil outside these sites so as I sit here and type this I too ask myself why bother?  

https://permies.com/t/87348/Examination-Accepted-Soil-Testing-Proceedures#718263

Hi Jason.  I bought an inexpensive ph meter on Amazon and I think it works fine as long as you follow the instructions which include pouring distilled or RO water into the spot you are going to test right before testing it.

I bought it because I wanted to know what the PH was of my soil in various places in my yard for various reasons. I have been putting in a lot of new plants, including a vegetable garden, so I needed to know if my soil was something they'd like or if I needed to amend the soil prior to planting. Also, some of the plants that were in our yard when we moved in weren't doing that well (including the lawn) and I wanted to determine whether it was because of the ph of the soil they were in. A number of my plants are doing much better as a result of using this tool and amending the soil as indicated. And finally, I have hydrangeas and I'd like to turn their blooms blue, for which a certain acidity level is needed.

I'd prefer to have a test I can do at home to save time and money.  Different areas of my yard have different ph levels depending on the level of decomposed organics in the soil or the amendments that have been added to it over time.  Plus, if you test the soil, determine you need to change the ph and add amendments to it to make it more acid or alkaline, you're going to have to keep testing it periodically until you get the ph where you want it.  That's a lot of testing.

I also have a cheap electric one from amazon, I actually bought it for soap making but I use it for soil to. It does need calibrating from time to time but it came with some solutions to use. I don't do anything about my soil pH which is 8.5 at the highest.

Jen Swanson wrote:Hi Jason.  I bought an inexpensive ph meter on Amazon and I think it works fine as long as you follow the instructions which include pouring distilled or RO water into the spot you are going to test right before testing it.

Yes, exactly. Tap water or pond water can mess up the test results by adding dissolved minerals/salts.

I have several PH testers. One does not stand out more than another.