Soil PH

[Greenleaves]

Tarragon

Might I suggest you list your questions in one post, it will be easier for you to track the advice and easy for other uses to see the answers.

Why you want to stimulate the roots, might also be useful for us to answer in an informed way

[Bigmallly]

I was also going to suggest that once you get your head round one question, then post another. You have got too many questions going on at once plus as you say, you can't do anything with the answers till Autumn due to work commitments.

[Russel Sprout]

Brought a digital tester c/w calibration buffer from ebay for about £8. As growing asparagus need 7 and blueberry need 5 , thought it worthwhile. Use hydrated builders lime (fast acting and strong but can't add much at a time) on asparagus and sulphur on blueberry

Have you used it yet and if so how have you found it performs? Do you have a link please?

[Bigmallly]

Have you used it yet and if so how have you found it performs? Do you have a link please?

There are various ones here:

digital soil ph tester | eBay

[Scarlet]

Canna Rhizotonic or j arthur bower organic rooting?

I've merged your threads as they are on a similar topic.

[Jay-ell]

I don't lime for anything. I've used stuff to drop the acid of the beds I'm putting the blueberries in but no idea how much it's dropped. I'm waiting to see what happens to the heather.

[It never rains..it pours]

Have you used it yet and if so how have you found it performs? Do you have a link please?

Having tried twin prong (junk on ph, ok on moisture) , chemical mixing version (slow and hard to see colors sometimes), its the best of the 3. Having spent £100 on asparagus, raspberry, strawberry, toms, etc thought it worth checking. How accurate is hard to say, but have buffers for calibration. Im fairly confident its within +/- 0.5%. From what ive found in tests, the previous owner chalked some of this garden ie see the lumps if dig around enough (not good compared to fine) and didnt other parts so tend to get 5.0 where she/he put none and 6.5 where it was. The 5.0 areas are fairly constant in tests but the 6.5 areas vary according to where a lump landed etc. Below is what I got, was £7.99 at the time from looking at ebay account. Maybe better deals out there now its risen. The booklet was handy as listed all phs and how to correct but all thats available on the net. It also taught me b&q compost is not the same ph constantly as say growmore, but probalbly everyman and his dog bar me knew that. I found after doing about 20 tests I had a good idea on areas and havent used it since, so anyone reading this in the Isle of Man and wants to borrow my tester is most welcome.

Digital Water pH Meter Gardeners pond aquarium pH meter, tester, with Case | eBay

[Martin H]

I haven't bothered testing my allotment. There's no scab on the potatoes, so the pH isn't high. There's no clubroot on the cabbages so the pH isn't low. So it must be pretty much neutral.

[Mitzi]

The simplest thing to do is look at what plants thrive in your garden and the neighbouring ones, and which plants are conspicuous by their absence or look sick. And what colour are the hydrangeas?

If the hydrangeas are all pink, clematis and, erm, I can't remember what else, does well, but there are very few rhododendrons, pieris, camellias and heathers, or they look small and a bit sick-looking, then you've got alkaline soil. You will probably also have lots of snails as well as slugs.

If there are some blue hydrangeas (probably as well as pink ones) and rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, pieris and heathers are thriving, then you've got acid soil. You probably won't have many, if any, snails, because they can't get the calcium they need for building shells.

I think also hard water comes from alkaline areas and soft water from acid areas, but as water gets piped all round the country these days, and soil types can be quite localised, it's not going to be reliable.

[vixylix]

Spot on Mitzi!

I know my soil is acidic because the hydrangeas anre blue, the pieris thrive and for many other reasons I've now forgotten. I live in a very soft water area, and my understanding was in line with yours that that provides a tendency for acid soil.

I find loads of dead snails, and loads of live slugs - I didnt know until now that that was why!

You learn something new every day