Testing PH For Soil And Liquid

I am thinking "No".

The aquarium test kits are water activated.

The water you add to the soil would have to be completely neutral (not sure that term is proper).

Even with "neutral water" I think the Aquarium Test Kit would have to narrow of a range to give you an accurate read on soil.

I know you said you did not want to use a meter but if you ever reconsider, you can get a great meter for $10 to $20 that would be fairly accurate. I farm, I use a cheap meter, they work great.

Good luck

1. Amend your soil with wood ash or lime, if it's acidic. Amend your soil with sulfur or pine needles, if it's alkaline.

Can I neutralize the soil by spraying solution (e.g., dilute lemon juice / vinegar) on soil, what about for acidic soil? Thanks.

Youngken,

When we think about soil pH we are thinking about plant nutrients as well as ions. If the soil is acidic, calcium and/or potassium are probably deficient. Wood ash or kelp (potassium) and lime (calcium) or dolomite lime (calcium and magnesium) raise the pH while supplying the missing nutrients. If the soil is too alkaline, then adding organic matter such as compost or manures will provide essential nitrogen ions and lower the pH.

Although I confess I have no experience with overly alkaline soil, correcting the pH with vinegar would not supply any missing nutrient which plants need to grow.... so although it is feasible to neutralize or acidify the pH, it may not be the best choice for your plants.

In garden shop, I saw different fertilizer solution with PH ranging from 4.5 to 9.

Can I apply these solution on soil to achieve my desired PH on soil?

Yes. I also suggest you discuss the use of the product with the personnel in the garden shop.

If you want to get an idea (a general idea) of your soil pH with a litmus paper test, you could do the following: take a pot and fill it with the soil to be tested. Stand the pot in a tray to catch runoff. Water the soil with the same water you use to water your garden, to get a sample of runoff through the soil, in the tray. Dip your litmus paper in the runoff water, and you will have some idea of the pH of the soil/water system as received by the plants.