User
Soil intermediate
Difficulty/Levels
Level 2
Data Type
Rating
What is the meaning and importance?
The pH tells us how alkaline (basic) or acidic a soil is (how many free ions of hydrogen there are). This is an important factor for healthy plant growth and for the availability of nutrients. A very basic or very acidic soil will not be fertile and will not support plant growth.
This method is based on the pH of both vinegar and baking soda and how they react with materials or chemicals with a different pH. Vinegar is acidic and when it comes into contact with an alkaline material (or chemical compound) it foams, bubbles and a fizzes. Baking soda is alkaline, and when it comes into contact with an acidic material (chemical), it also foams, bubbles and fizzes. Due to the chemical properties of both vinegar and baking soda mentioned above, these compounds can be used to provide a rough estimate of soil pH in the field.
What is the method for collection?
- Clear off the surface of the sampling points off any vegetation, or any leaf, or root debris.
- Using a hand trowel or shovel, obtain some soil from any other desired depth.
- Look for any plant roots or debris and try to remove them from the soil sample as
much as possible.
- Put the soil into the cup or container.
- Add some water to the soil to turn it into a soil paste (not too wet nor too dry, it
should have some consistency).
- Follow the steps below and, in order to rate, observe and listen to the container: you might not see the fizzing, but be able to hear it!
- At the end of this last test, please cover the sampling hole with the soil yo tested. Vinegar and baking-soda are natural reactors and won't contaminate the soil in these proportions, so feel free to put back the PH Test-soil in the ground with the rest.
- Into the already prepared soil paste, add about 1⁄2 cup of baking soda to the
soil paste and stir lightly (about 1 - 2 minutes).
- If after stirring, the soil gives off fizzing sounds, forms bubbles or foams,
then that soil is acidic.