How to determine the acidity of the soil on its own site

The acidity of the soil is the reaction of the soil to the interaction of rocks lying in the earth's thickness. It is of great importance in the cultivation of any cultivated plants. To determine the acidity, you can contact the agrochemical laboratory. But not everyone has such an opportunity. How to determine the acidity of the soil yourself? There is a pH scale for measuring the reaction of the soil. If its value is equal to 4.5 - then, the soil is strongly acidic, 4.5 to 5.0 - medium-acid, 5.5 and more - neutral. You can determine this indicator yourself.

Determination of the reaction of soil using litmus test paper

How to determine the acidity of the soil yourself? For this purpose, specialized sets sell kits. They include 50 or more reagent-impregnated strips and a scale in color. It determines the acidity of the soil on its own. To do this, you need to take samples of the land from different places of your infield, and the depth of their occurrence should also be different. Next, place the material in gauze, dip it into distilled water (4-5 parts per 1 part of the soil) and insist for five minutes. Then take a litmus strip and go down into the tank with water and soil for a couple of seconds. The pH value will be displayed on the color scale. You can do otherwise. Separate a part of the earth, pour distilled water into it and stir until a gruel is obtained. Insist 15 minutes and mix again. After about five minutes, the water will peel off from the ground (it should be transparent). An indicator is placed in it, and the pH readings are taken.

The red color of the strip means that the soil is acidic, orange - medium-acid, yellow - slightly acidic, greenish - neutral. Having determined the acidity, you will understand, you need to make lime in the soil to neutralize this reaction or not.

Determination of soil acidity by yourself

On its site, each is his own master, and therefore is free to use any means to achieve the desired result. People's methods for determining the pH of the earth are quite common among gardeners.

• The first way. Cherry or currant leaves, three or four pieces, put in a container of glass and pour one glass of boiling water. Wait until the water cools down, and put a small lump of earth in it. When the liquid is colored red, the soil is acidic, blue - weakly acidic, greenish - neutral.
• The second way. Determination of the acidity of the soil by yourself improvised means can be done by digging a pit 20-25 centimeters deep. To do this, you need only a shovel. If the land has a whitish layer, then the soil is acidic. On any site there are pits and grooves in which water stagnates. If it has a rusty-colored appearance and its surface is covered with a rainbow film with a loose sediment of dark yellow color, then the soil on your site is strongly acidic.

• In order not to puzzle how to determine the acidity of the soil yourself, there is a proven method. This will require table vinegar. It's enough to pour on the ground. If there are bubbles, there is no reason to worry: the soil is neutral. The mixture zips with an alkaline reaction. If the vinegar is combined with water and a pinch of soda and pour on the ground, the reaction will go with a hiss, and foam will appear on the surface. In this case, we can conclude that the soil is acidic.
• Determination of soil acidity alone at home Can be done with a glass of grape juice. To do this, you need to drop the land from the site into it. If the color changes or bubbles appear, the soil is neutral.

A device for determining the acidity of the soil

Many gardeners and truck farmers are more likely to trust technology than folk methods. There is such a device - a pH meter - with which it is easy to determine the acidity of the soil in any area. To do this, it is enough to place it in the ground and record the pH readings, which are indicated on the device with an accuracy of tenths of a fraction.

This procedure takes no more than one minute and does not require any additional devices, materials, or substances. And most importantly, it saves time. The device is good and that with its help at the same time it is possible to measure the level of moisture in the soil. This is of no small importance.

How does the acidity of the soil affect plants?

Neutral soil has a beneficial effect on most crop plants. In the soil with high acidity, root growth deteriorates. This is due to inadequate intake of nutrients to plants. The acid reaction of the soil reduces the protein and nitrogen content in them. Suppression of the process of sucrose conversion occurs.

Cultivated plants experience a stronger acidic effect during growth. With its cessation, they weaken. In addition, ferrous, aluminum and manganese compounds dissolve faster in acidic soil, which slows the growth of plants.

Determination of soil acidity by weeds

This is a very simple, but not entirely accurate way. Determination of soil acidity by weeds can be carried out by observing the condition of its site. The fact is that wild and weedy grasses grow on different types of soil. If the site is overgrown with nettle, clover, stamen, alfalfa, burdock or corn cob, then the soil is alkaline.

Thick thickets of equine sorrel, white-stalked, moss, horsetail, carrot, oak, oatmeal, psyllium, mocryza, mint, Ivan-da-marya, toritsa, sedges, fragrant bell, paws, buttercup, creeping daisy can be observed on acid soil.

How to determine the acidity of the soil by the appearance of plants?

Very often beginning farmers ask themselves how to determine the acidity of the soil on their own. The simplest way, which does not require any investment, is observability and the necessary stock of knowledge. So, plants growing on soils with high acidity, get insufficient nutrients. This affects the condition of the leaves and trunk.

For example, consider a table beet, which prefers an alkaline medium. If its leaves are green, and the petioles are red, it grows on a neutral ground. When there are weak red veins on the leaves, we can say that the soil is weakly acidic. And if the tops get red, the soil has an acid reaction.

How to determine the acidity of the soil with chalk?

Acquiring a plot of land, each owner plans to seriously and permanently cultivate cultivated plants. To begin with, a determination of the acidity of the soil should be carried out. On its own garden plot, even a beginner can handle it independently, and will do it with minimal costs. Want to know how? To do this, you can use chalk, which certainly will be found in every house. First you need to prepare a glass bottle and put a handful of earth into it. Then pour five tablespoons of warm water. Then add chopped chalk - one teaspoon is enough. Further, the neck of the bottle should be closed with a rubber fingertip.

It remains only to vigorously shake the bottle with all the contents, so that the ingredients mix well. If the fingertip begins to straighten, then there is a chemical reaction between the acid in the soil and the chalk, which is alkali . This means that the soil on your site is acidic.

Determination of soil acidity with red cabbage

The leaves of this vegetable have the ability to change their color depending on the environment in which they are: alkaline or acidic. The reaction is tested as follows. Cabbage is cut into thin strips, which are placed in a saucepan, filled with water and boiled for thirty minutes from the moment of boiling.

A plain white paper is cut in ten centimetric strips (along the length). Their width is one centimeter. When the solution cools, it should be filtered. Then, cooked paper is lowered into it for five minutes. When the strip is impregnated with liquid, they are removed and placed on the grate for complete drying. Homemade indicators turned out. Now the determination of soil acidity on the site can be carried out with their help.

You need to take one part of the land and three water. All mix well and insist for half an hour. Dissolve the solution and drip onto a homemade indicator. If its color has not changed - the soil on your site is neutral. The pink color of the strip indicates weakly acidic soil, and the red color indicates a very acidic soil.

What kind of soil do different plants prefer?

For the growth of different crops, soil with a certain acidity response is necessary. So, neutral earth is preferred by such plants as mother-and-stepmother, bindweed, clover. From vegetable crops - cabbage, beets, onions, garlic.

Low-acid soils provide a good harvest of cucumbers, zucchini, eggplant, radish, peas, potatoes, radishes. They are ideal for roses, chamomile, chrysanthemums.

Acidic soil fully provides nutrients to tomatoes, pumpkin, carrots, sorrel, parsley.

What determines the acidity of the soil?

Many plants are preferable to plant in a neutral soil. In it they grow better. Acidity depends on the limestone contained in the soil. If it is not enough, it will be sour. And in it, plants are much less able to absorb the nutrients necessary for growth. When applying fertilizers, the efficiency will not meet your expectations. In such a land, plants develop poorly, they experience starvation. As a result, the yield decreases, and the quality of the product leaves much to be desired.

The soil is better for liming in the autumn-spring period. The lime is thoroughly crushed. Its grains should not exceed one millimeter in diameter. Otherwise, the lime effect will decrease. Prepared crushed rock should be scattered over the beds, carefully and evenly dig to a depth of 20 centimeters. If the lime is unevenly distributed around the site, it can ruin the plants. Acidify the soil by watering it with a solution, for the preparation of which the manganese is dissolved in water.