Test soil acidity at home with vinegar. How to determine the acidity of the soil yourself in your area. Visual methods for determining acidity

It will be most favorable for them.

In our article we will tell you how to determine the acidity of the soil yourself, since it is this indicator that has a serious impact on the development of crops.

Types of acidity

Soil acidity is one of the important indicators when conducting soil analysis. It is measured in pH, a scale that ranges from 0 to 14.

There are three types of acidity:

• slightly acidic (soil with a pH value above 7);
• neutral (soil with a pH value of 7);
• acidic (soil with a pH value below 7).

Important! The acidity level can be different at a distance of even 1 meter. Therefore, before planting, take samples every 2 meters, this will help to more accurately determine the pH level.

For most crops, neutral or slightly acidic soil is more suitable.

How to determine the level at home?

To plant a plant in the “right” area, you need to know how to determine soil acidity.

Vinegar

The easiest way to find out the pH level of the soil is to use table vinegar. To do this, you need to pour a few drops onto a handful of earth.

If you see small bubbles appearing on it, this indicates that it is neutral or non-acidic, that is, it is quite suitable for planting.

Grape juice

To test the pH level this way, you will need a glass of grape juice and a lump of soil.

The soil must be lowered into a glass and observed the reaction: if the color of the juice begins to change and bubbles begin to appear on the surface, this indicates the neutrality of the soil.

Indicator strips

Not everyone knows how to test soil acidity at home using indicator strips. This is very convenient way, since you can purchase them at any specialty store or pharmacy.

Litmus papers are impregnated with a special reagent, the color of which changes depending on the pH. Usually the packaging shows a color scale that can be used to determine the pH level.

Did you know? The number of microorganisms in one teaspoon of soil is the same as the population of the entire planet.

To conduct the experiment, you need to wrap a handful of earth in several layers of gauze and lower it into a container with purified distilled water. After this, you need to shake the container well so that the salts from the soil are well dissolved in the water.
After this, you need to lower the litmus paper into the container for a few seconds. Soon its color will change, and then it will be possible to determine the pH level using the table.

Red cabbage

Let's look at how to find out the acidity of the soil on a site using red cabbage. To do this, you need to finely chop the head. We will need a decoction, by the color change of which upon contact with the ground, we can determine the level of acidity.

Cabbage must be boiled in distilled water for 10 minutes. After this, the broth is filtered. Purple juice has a neutral pH.

Let's start the procedure. To do this, you need to pour the juice into a cup and place a spoonful of earth there. Then you need to wait about 30 minutes and look at the color of the juice. If it remains unchanged - purple, then the pH of the soil is neutral.
If you purchased the juice pink color, this indicates sour soil. The more saturated the color, the higher. The presence of blue or green color indicates the neutrality of the soil. If the color is bright green, the soil has high alkalinity.

other methods

There are other methods for determining pH levels. Let's look at them.

Appearance

You can try to determine the pH level by appearance. If you notice that the water in the holes has a rusty tint and an iridescent film, and after it is absorbed, there is a brown sediment on the surface, this indicates increased acidity of the soil.

Important! Since acidity is affected by various external factors that can change it, it is worth checking it every season and, if necessary, taking measures to bring it to the required indicators.

Also a sign sour earth is the presence of whitish layers at shallow depths.

By the weeds

You can determine the pH level by looking at what grows on the soil. Plantain, spikelet, Ivan-da-Marya, etc. feel good on acidic soil.

Slightly acidic soil allows the following weeds to develop well: knotweed, burdock,.

Grows well in alkaline soil, and.

Acid meter

You can also determine the pH level using a device. You can buy it in special stores.

Depending on the acidity level, the arrow will show certain data. Features of using the device are presented in the instructions.

Soil acidity is the reaction of soil to interaction rocks, lying in the thickness of the earth. It is of great importance when growing any cultivated plants. To determine acidity, you can contact an agrochemical laboratory. But not everyone has such an opportunity. How to determine soil acidity yourself? There is a pH scale that can be used to measure soil reaction. If its indicator is 4.5, it means the soil is strongly acidic, from 4.5 to 5.0 - moderately acidic, 5.5 or more - neutral. You can determine this indicator yourself.

Determining soil reaction using litmus test paper

How to determine soil acidity yourself? For these purposes, kits are sold in specialized stores. They include 50 or more strips impregnated with reagents and a scale in color. It is used to determine the acidity of the soil independently. To do this, you need to take soil samples from different places in your garden plot, and their depth should also be different. Next, you should place the material in gauze, dip it in distilled water (4-5 parts of it per 1 part of soil) and leave for five minutes. Then take a litmus strip and lower it into a container with water and soil for a couple of seconds. The pH values ​​will be visible on the color scale. You can do it differently. Separate part of the earth, pour distilled water into it and stir until a paste is obtained. Leave for 15 minutes and stir again. After about five minutes, the water will separate from the soil (it should be clear). An indicator is placed in it and pH readings are taken.

The red color of the strip means that the soil is acidic, orange – moderately acidic, yellow – slightly acidic, greenish – neutral. By determining the acidity, you will understand whether you need to add lime to the soil to neutralize this reaction or not.

In his own area, everyone is his own master, and therefore is free to use any means to achieve the desired result. Quite common among gardeners traditional methods determining the pH of the earth.

• First way. Cherry or currant leaves, three or four pieces, are placed in a glass container and poured with one glass of boiling water. Wait until the water cools down and put a small lump of earth into it. When the liquid turns red, the soil is acidic, blue - slightly acidic, and greenish - neutral.
• Second way. Determining the acidity of the soil independently using improvised means can be done by digging a hole 20-25 centimeters deep. For this you only need a shovel. If the soil has a whitish layer, then the soil is acidic. On any site there are holes and grooves in which water stagnates. If it has a rusty-colored appearance and its surface is covered with an iridescent film with loose dark yellow sediment, it means that the soil in your area is highly acidic.

• In order not to rack your brains on how to determine the acidity of the soil yourself, there is a proven method. This will require table vinegar. It is enough to water the ground with it. If bubbles appear, there is no reason to worry: the soil is neutral. The mixture will sizzle when alkaline reaction. If you combine vinegar with water and a pinch of soda and pour this mixture onto the ground, the reaction will hiss and foam will appear on the surface. In this case, we can conclude that the soil is acidic.
• Determining the acidity of the soil yourself at home can be done using a glass of grape juice. To do this, you need to lower the soil from the site into it. If the color changes or bubbles appear, the soil is neutral.

Device for determining soil acidity

Many gardeners and gardeners trust technology more than traditional methods. There is such a device - a pH meter - with which you can easily determine the acidity of the soil in any area. To do this, just place it in the ground and record the pH level, which is indicated on the device with an accuracy of tenths.

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 also good because it can also be used to measure the moisture level in the soil. This is of no small importance.

How does soil acidity affect plants?

Neutral soil has a beneficial effect on most cultivated plants. In the ground with increased acidity root growth deteriorates. This occurs due to insufficient supply of nutrients to the plants. The acidic reaction of the soil reduces the protein and nitrogen content in them. The process of sucrose conversion is suppressed.

Cultivated plants experience a stronger influence of an acidic environment during growth. With its cessation they weaken. In addition, iron, aluminum and manganese compounds dissolve faster in acidic soil, which slows down plant growth.

Determining soil acidity by weeds

This is a very simple, but not entirely accurate method. Determining the acidity of the soil independently by looking at weeds can be done by observing the condition of your site. The fact is that wild and weeds grow on different types soil. If the area is overgrown with nettles, clover, wheatgrass, alfalfa, burdock or field bindweed, then the soil is alkaline.

Dense thickets of horse sorrel, white-horned sorrel, moss, horsetail, popovnik, speedwell, plantain, woodlice, mint, Ivan da Marya, toritsa, sedge, sweet bell, bloodroot, creeping buttercup, and daisies can be observed on acidic soil.

How to determine soil acidity by the appearance of plants?

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

For example, consider table beets, which prefer alkaline environment. If its leaves are green and its petioles are red, then it grows on neutral soil. When faint red veins appear on the leaves, you can tell that the soil is slightly acidic. And if the tops turn red, the soil is acidic.

How to determine soil acidity using chalk?

By purchasing land plot, every owner plans to seriously and for a long time grow cultivated plants. First you need to determine the acidity of the soil. On your own garden plot even a beginner can cope with this, and will do it with minimal costs. Want to know how? To do this, you can use chalk, which is probably found in every home. First you need to prepare a glass bottle and put a handful of earth in it. Then add five tablespoons of warm water. Then add crushed chalk - one teaspoon is enough. Next, close the neck of the bottle with a rubber fingertip.

All that remains is to vigorously shake the bottle with all its contents so that the ingredients are well mixed. If the fingertip begins to straighten, it means that a chemical reaction is taking place between the acid in the soil and the chalk, which is an alkali. This means that the soil in your area is acidic.

Determining soil acidity using red cabbage

The leaves of this vegetable have the ability to change their color depending on the environment in which they are found: alkaline or acidic. Testing for reaction is done like this. The cabbage is cut into thin strips, which are placed in a pan, filled with water and cooked for thirty minutes from the moment of boiling.

Plain white paper is cut into ten-centimeter strips (lengthwise). Their width is one centimeter. When the solution has cooled, it should be filtered. Then the prepared paper is dipped into it for five minutes. When the strips are saturated with liquid, they are removed and placed on a wire rack to dry completely. The result was homemade indicators. Now you can determine the acidity of the soil yourself on the site using them.

You need to take one part of the earth and three of the water. Mix everything well and leave for half an hour. Strain the solution and drop it onto a homemade indicator. If its color has not changed, the soil on your site is neutral. The pink color of the strip indicates slightly acidic soil, and the red color indicates very acidic soil.

What kind of soil do different plants prefer?

For the growth of various crops, soil with a certain reaction to acidity is required. Thus, plants such as coltsfoot, bindweed, and clover prefer neutral soil. From vegetable crops– cabbage, beets, onions, garlic.

Slightly acidic soils provide good harvest cucumbers, zucchini, eggplants, radishes, peas, potatoes, radishes. They are ideal for roses, chamomile, chrysanthemums.

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

What determines soil acidity?

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

It is better to lime the soil in the autumn-spring period. The lime is thoroughly crushed. Its grains should not exceed one millimeter in diameter. Otherwise, the lime effect will be reduced. The prepared crushed rock should be scattered over the beds, carefully and evenly dug to a depth of 20 centimeters. If lime is unevenly distributed over the area, it can destroy the plants. You can acidify the soil by watering it with a solution, for the preparation of which potassium permanganate is dissolved in water.

How to independently determine the acidity of the soil?

For good productivity, many plants need neutral soil, since in acidic soils nutrients are less absorbed and the effectiveness of applying fertilizers containing potassium and nitrogen is reduced. Accordingly, plants develop worse, and not only the quantity, but also the quality of the crop decreases.

How to check the acidity of the soil in order to take timely measures and save yourself from unproductive work on the site, we will learn in this article.

Methods for determining soil acidity

There are a few simple ways for those who do not know how to independently determine soil acidity:

1. The first of them requires the purchase of litmus indicators. This set of strips with a standard scale can be purchased at a chemical store.
2. On the site, we dig a hole 35 cm deep, collect soil from the vertical walls in four different places. In total you should get 80 grams of soil. Mix it with distilled water, squeeze the indicator together with the wet soil and observe the color changes.
3. If the soil is acidic, the paper will turn yellow to dark red. If the reaction is alkaline, the indicator will show a color from green to dark blue. Red color is highly acidic soil, pink is medium, yellow is slightly acidic soil.
4. You can make a soil acidity meter yourself and not buy any kits. For this we need regular red cabbage. Finely chop it and cook in water for 30 minutes, strain. We need the resulting decoction. In it we soak strips of plain white paper and dry them. Now our indicators are ready. We check the soil in the same way as described in the first paragraph.
5. We observe the so-called soil acidity indicator plants. If pansies, horsetail, horse sorrel, buttercups and plantains grow abundantly on the site, then the soil here is highly acidic.
6. Neutral soil is chosen by clover, coltsfoot, bindweed, blackberry, and nettle. Of course, no one gives a 100% guarantee with this method of determination, but many gardeners keep these features in mind.
7. Vinegar as a determinant of acidity. Take a handful of soil from the plot and pour drops of vinegar on it. If the earth “boils” and you see bubbles, this will mean that the sample is normal in acidity. This experience will remind housewives of extinguishing soda. Actually, this is the whole “trick” - if there is enough lime in the ground, vinegar will “extinguish” it. But if the reaction does not occur, then the soil is highly acidic and you need to add lime or chalk to it.
8. We are watching external signs. If in an undeveloped area the water standing in the depressions has a rusty tint and an iridescent film on the surface, and after the liquid is absorbed a yellow sediment remains on it, this means that the soil in the area is highly acidic.

Now that we know how to find out the acidity of the soil, we can begin to save the situation.

Deoxidizing the soil

First of all, you need to add chalk or limestone to the acidic soil. Can also be purchased in special. stores dolomite flour or fluff lime. Just remember that you can’t bring all this in with manure.

You need to deoxidize the soil immediately before planting, evenly scattering lime over the surface of the garden and thoroughly mixing it with the soil. This liming will last you 6-8 years. After this, the process will need to be repeated.

The need for liming is obvious. However, you should also understand that some plants, on the contrary, like more acidic soil. Therefore, try to approach this individually. If you need to increase the acidity of the soil, sulfur will do, pine needles or kefir. You just need to water the plants with their solution.

Laboratory work 9 Determination of hydrolytic acidity of soils using the Kappen method

The determination of hydrolytic (non-exchangeable) acidity using the Kappen method is based on the fact that when a solution of the hydrolytically alkaline salt CH 3 COONa interacts with the soil, absorbed hydrogen and aluminum are displaced, which are titrated with alkali. The amount of alkali used for titration is used to judge the value of hydrolytic acidity (HA). The HA indicator is used when calculating the norm and dose of lime during liming and to predict the effect of phosphate rock. The degree of base saturation is calculated as the percentage of exchangeable bases in the soil absorption complex (SAC). The total absorption capacity of PPC is considered to be equal to the sum of exchangeable bases and hydrolytic acidity.

Goal of the work : will learn to determine hydrolytic acidity and the degree of base saturation of the soil.

Reagents and equipment for preparing solutions:

Dissolve 1.0 n CH 3 COONa - 136.0 g CH 3 COONa in 400-600 ml of water and bring the volume to 1 liter in a volumetric flask, the pH of this solution should be 8.3-8.4.

The solution is stored for no more than 3-5 days.

Dissolve 0.1 NaOH - 4.0 g NaOH in water and bring the volume to 1.0 liters in a 1.0 liter volumetric flask. Determine the correction to the titer.

Materials and equipment : 1) phenolphthalein solution (dissolve 1.0 g of reagent in 100.0 ml of 96% ethyl alcohol); 2) 250 ml conical flasks; 3) funnels; 4) ash-free filters; 5) burettes; 6) beakers; 7) 1.0 l volumetric flasks.

Work progress : weigh 40.0 g of soil prepared for analysis and transfer it to a conical flask with a capacity of 200-250 ml. Add 100.0 ml 1.0 N. CH 3 COONa solution with a cylinder (dispenser). Place the flask with the solution on a rotator and shake for 1 hour and leave for 18-20 hours. After the specified period, filter the extract through a dry ash-free filter (discard the first portions of the filter). Pipette 50.0 ml of clear filtrate and transfer to a 200-250 ml conical flask. Add 2-3 drops of phenolphthalein and titrate with 0.1 NaOH until a faint pink color does not disappear within 1 minute. Record the results in table 13.

Table 13 - Results recording form

Based on the amount of alkali spent on titration, the value of hydrolytic acidity is calculated in milliequivalents of H+ per 100 g of soil (H r).

,

where Hr is the value of hydrolytic acidity in meq per 100 air-dry soil; a - milliliters of 0.1 N NaOH used for titration; T - correction to alkali titer; 5 - conversion factor per 100 g of soil; 1.75 - Daikuhara coefficient (for incomplete hydrogen displacement); 10 is the conversion factor per milliequivalent.

In mass agrochemical analyses, hydrolytic acidity is determined by the potentiometric method, by measuring the pH on a pH meter. To do this, weigh 30 g of air-dry soil with an error of no more than 0.1 g, transfer it to a 150-250 ml conical flask and add 75 ml of 1.0 N sodium acetate solution. The contents are shaken for 1 minute. and leave until the next day. Before determining the pH on the device, the suspension is shaken again for 1 minute. The pH meter readings are measured to the nearest hundredths. Hydrolytic acidity is determined according to conversion table 14.

Table 14 – Conversion of the pH of the acetate extract into units of hydrolytic acidity, meq/100g

Table 15 - Grouping of soils by hydrolytic acidity

Conclusions from the work:

Questions for self-control

1. What is hydrolytic acidity.

2. What is the basis for determining hydrolytic acidity using the Kappen method.

3. For what purpose is hydrolytic acidity determined?

4. Where can the hydrolytic acidity indicator be used?

5 Ways to Determine Soil pH and Why It's So Important

Very often we hear the term soil pH, but we don’t even realize how important it really is.

I admit, for a long time I also considered this indicator to be a kind of scientific and statistical factor, far from reality. It was a pity to waste time and money to determine it. And accordingly, I did not define it...

Until one day they explained to me what it really was. Do you want to know too?

The fact is that water, entering the soil, dissolves metals, minerals, micro- and macroelements and then forms saline solution absorbed by plant roots. When the soil is neutral (pH about 7), almost all minerals have very high solubility in water. Some elements, such as calcium and magnesium, dissolve mainly in alkaline or slightly alkaline solutions (pH> 7), which is why such soils are also called calcareous. In acidic soils, with pH

So, we have already dealt with the question Why. But how to determine this very indicator?

Methods for determining soil acidity

1) Visual condition of the soil

If the water in puddles after rain has a rusty hue, with a rainbow film on the surface and dark yellow loose sediment, you should know that the soil in the area is highly acidic. Also, a signal of very acidic soil can be greenish velvety moss on its surface (even in its most illuminated areas. A whitish, ash-like layer of soil at a shallow depth also indicates an acidic environment.

2) Using weed plants

Do you think weeds can be beneficial? Yes, and now I will prove it to you.

You have probably noticed more than once that completely different weed plants grow in different parts of the land. For example, a family of cheerful dandelions settled in a frame of emerald wheatgrass, clovers and daisies spread out. Rest assured, they tell you that the soil in this place is slightly acidic (pH 5.1-6). Ferns, coltsfoot, and moth also readily grow on slightly acidic soils.

But, it would seem, next to it there is a completely different picture. Along the fence there are magnificent bushes of wild sorrel, horsetail, and plantain. And all this cheerfulness is emphasized by the magnificent flowers of tricolor violet and the aromas of wild mint. The soil in this place is acidic (pH 4.1-5.0).

Nettle, shepherd's purse, quinoa, and woodlice grow on neutral soil (pH 6.1-7). Well, on alkaline soil (in which pH > 7) poppy, bindweed, and white doze feel great.

3) Natural reagents

To determine the acidity level of the soil, you need to take 3-4 leaves of ordinary blackcurrant, but if you don’t find it, bird cherry leaves will also do. Brew them in a glass of boiling water, cool and add a spoonful of earth to the resulting solution. If the “tea” turns reddish, it means the soil reaction is acidic, a greenish tint is a signal of slightly acidic soil, and a bluish tint means neutral.

4) The “life chemist” method

Pour 2 tablespoons of the tested soil into a 0.5 liter bottle (an important condition is that the bottle must have a narrow neck), then pour 6 tablespoons of water at room temperature into it.

Separately, prepare a bag of ordinary folded paper, pour a teaspoon of ordinary crushed chalk into it, wrap it in a small piece of paper (5x5 cm) and push it into the bottle.

Place a small children's inflatable ball, rolled into a tight roller, on the neck of the bottle (it can also be replaced with a rubber fingertip, which you can probably find in any first aid kit). Afterwards, the bottle, wrapped in a towel, should be shaken vigorously for 5 minutes.

If the soil is acidic, then when interacting with chalk in the bottle, a chemical reaction will begin with the release of carbon dioxide, the pressure will increase and the rubber on the neck will straighten completely; if the soil is slightly acidic, the ball will straighten halfway; if it is neutral, it will not straighten at all, remaining flattened.

5) Classic litmus method

To determine the acidity level of soils, you can buy and regular set litmus paper. By immersing the tester sheet in moistened soil for a couple of seconds and comparing the resulting color with the scale on the package, you will get a very accurate result.

6) Determination using pH meters.

These are small portable devices, which are simply enough to be placed in the ground, and in a few seconds you will find out not only the acidity level of the soil, but its moisture content. Such devices measure acidity very accurately and quickly - up to 1 minute, with an accuracy of tenths.

Remember that in different places on your site the soil may have different acidity, which changes year after year, so it is impossible to determine it once and for all.

Before we talk about how to determine soil acidity, let us briefly recall what it is. If it’s really abstruse, this is the ratio of hydrogen ions and hydroxides, which is denoted by the symbols pH - pondushydrogenii - which literally means “weight of hydrogen” in divine Latin. This ratio determines the acidity of the soil on the land plot.

Determination methods

Signs, folk or scientific remedies can help us determine the acidity of the soil ourselves. This can be done like this:

determine by instruments;

use litmus paper;

set for growing weeds;

determine using traditional methods;

recognize by the appearance of some garden crops.

Each of these methods can be used on your site, you just need to keep in mind that in different corners of the site the soil can give completely different reactions. This must be taken into account when planning the planting of certain horticultural crops, as well as in measures to deoxidize or acidify the soil.

Reference! Soil deacidification is a way to reduce its acidity or increase the pH reaction to the alkaline side, acidification, the reverse process, it makes the soil more acidic.

Devices

Gardeners who keep up with the times are accustomed to trusting technical means. So, to determine acidity, there is such a device - a soil pH meter.

The meter consists of a probe that is stuck into the ground and a monitor that displays the level of pH reaction. They can be connected rigidly or through a flexible conductor. The inside of the device, of course, is more complex, but why do we need to know about all sorts of anodes and cathodes, a visual result is important to us.

Such devices for measuring soil acidity are currently produced by many manufacturers: European, Chinese, and domestic. In order not to be accused of advertising, we will not name brands and mark their models for better or worse (and they don’t pay us for this :)).

Litmus familiar from childhood

Anyone who remembers chemistry lessons from school can easily use the well-known soil acidity meter - a set of litmus papers.

Using the set is very simple, we will tell you step by step:

We take a soil sample and fill it with 4-5 parts of distilled water (sold in auto stores).

Advice! Plain water from a site from a well or water supply it is impossible, since it already has its own acidity indicators and can affect the test result!

1. Stir the soil into a slurry.

   We wait for the liquid to clear, this usually takes 5-10 minutes.

   Dip a strip of litmus paper into the liquid.

   We bring the colored paper to the standard scale and compare the degree of coloring, by which we determine the pH level.

If you don’t have a scale at hand, you can memorize the colors of the reactions:

green – alkaline;

light green – neutral;

yellow – slightly acidic;

red – sour.

Weeds

If you are familiar with plant species, especially weeds, then you can easily find out whether your soil is acidic or alkaline. If you can sow seeds in your garden, regardless of the pH level of your soil, then this does not happen in nature, and each blade of grass sprouts only where it is most comfortable.

Based on the knowledge of which weeds live on acidic soils and which on alkaline or neutral soils, we can draw a conclusion about the soils of your site.

We list the plants that grow in alkaline and neutral soils:

• Timothy grass;

  bentgrass;

• coltsfoot;

• strawberries;

• bindweed-birch.

The following list lists which weeds grow in acidic soils:

Ivan da Marya;

• bird and sorrel knotweed;

  horse sorrel;

• plantain;

  common sorrel;

If there are plants on your site that indicate soil acidity related to different lists, this means your soil is heterogeneous, and for each zone you need to carry out your own agrotechnical measures.

In addition to the listed plants, most conifers can also be noted. At least under pine and spruce plantations, the soil is likely to be acidic, and the needles of these trees are even used in vegetable gardens to acidify the soil in the beds.

Traditional methods

Acidity measurements can be carried out without instruments or litmus papers. There are several simple and accessible folk methods for this.

Using leaves

In this method, currant or cherry leaves replace litmus papers. This is done as follows:

Place 3-5 leaves of black currant or ordinary cherry in a glass glass.

Pour boiling water to the top and leave until the water cools.

Dip a piece of soil into the glass and monitor the reaction.

The red color of the liquid will indicate that the soil is acidic, the blue color indicates a slightly acidic reaction, green color means your soil is pH neutral.

Pits and grooves

If the water in a hole after rain turns rusty and is covered with an oily film, this is a sign of highly acidic soil. The whitish stripes noticeable when digging a vegetable garden also mean the same thing.

Vinegar

If you water the soil in your area with vinegar and no reaction occurs, then the soil in that area is acidic. On neutral soil, characteristic bubbles will form, and on alkaline soil, it will hiss and foam.

Grape juice

At home, you can use grape juice as an indicator of acidity. If, when placing a piece of soil in it, the color of the liquid changes and a reaction occurs, this will show us that the soil is neutral. Acidic soil will not react with juice.

Chalk method

Determining the acidity of the soil using regular school chalk will remind some gardeners of the process of making wine. To do this you need to do the following:

Pour one handful of garden soil into the bottle.

Pour in five tablespoons of boiled warm water.

Add a teaspoon of powdered chalk.

We put a medical fingertip, a balloon or item No. 2 on the neck of the bottle.

Shake the bottle vigorously to mix all the ingredients.

The straightening of the fingertip will show us that gas is being released from the reaction taking place inside the bottle, which indicates the acidic composition of the soil.

Red head indicator

Few people know that homemade indicator papers like litmus can be made from ordinary red cabbage. This method is based on the ability of cabbage leaves of this species to change their color under different external conditions.

To make indicators from red cabbage, proceed as follows:

Shredded cabbage is placed in a saucepan.

Pour water over the cabbage and cook for half an hour after boiling.

At this time, you need to take regular white writing paper and cut it into centimeter-wide strips.

Let the cabbage solution cool to room temperature.

Strain the cooled cabbage broth through a sieve or colander.

Place paper strips in the liquid for five minutes.

After soaking the strips with the liquid from the cabbage leaf broth, place them on a wire rack to dry.

Dried strips provide a ready-made indicator for determining acidity.

Homemade indicators are used in almost the same way as litmus tests. To determine the acidity level of your soil, do the following:

Place a soil sample into the container.

Fill it with three parts water.

Stir and let sit for thirty to forty minutes.

Strain the solution.

Place a drop of liquid on a homemade cabbage indicator.

If there is no change in color, then your primer is neutral. Slightly acidic soil will turn the paper pink, acidic soil will turn it red.

Plant condition

You can determine the acidity of the soil in your garden by the color of the leaves of some cultivated plants. The most typical beets in this regard are beets, especially red beets, which like to grow on slightly alkaline soil.

On neutral soils, the color of its leaves is a normal, rich green color. The veins that begin to turn pinkish-red indicate a slightly acidic reaction, and the appearance of red spots on the tops means that the root crop is growing in acidic soil.

To reinforce what you have read, we present a video about determining acidity using litmus papers:

Acidity– this is one of the most important indicators of soil properties, it is expressed by the pH value (from 0 to 14).

The rate of decomposition of mineral and organic substances in the soil, and therefore the saturation of plants with useful elements, depends on the level of acidity.

Majority garden crops grow well in soil with a pH level close to neutral.

Earth with high acidity has a high concentration of microelements, which destroys beneficial microorganisms and does not allow necessary substances plant.

Alkaline soil, in other words, soil with low acidity (pH 7.5 - 10 and above), contains a large number of calcium salts, which makes it too hard and dense.

To obtain a high-quality harvest, you need to monitor the pH level in your garden. How to determine soil acidity level folk ways and with the help chemical reaction How to increase and decrease soil acidity, what pH level is suitable for a particular vegetable crop will be discussed in our article.

What is soil acidity and its types according to pH level

Any soil contains hydrogen and aluminum ions, but in different proportions.

It is this ratio that influences soil acidity level. In a neutral environment, hydrogen and aluminum ions are contained in equal parts. The predominance of hydrogen ions indicates an acidic environment and vice versa.

This ratio is called actual acidity, value pH determines the activity of hydrogen ions in a special soil solution.

There is another type of soil acidity - potential. Analysis can only be carried out in specialized laboratories.

Potential acidity reflects the possibility of soil acidification or alkalization in subsequent years.

By level metabolic acidity experts determine the potential acidity of the soil for the subsequent growing season. This analysis is carried out in the fall in order to find out what acidity the soil will have next year.

Hydrolytic acidity can show us what kind of environment (acidic or alkaline) water acquires when interacting with soil.

This is a very important indicator, because the roots of the plant absorb not distilled water, but a soil solution. In addition, the dose of lime applied is determined by the value of hydrolytic acidity.

These studies are carried out by agronomists and scientists in order to find out how fertile the soil can be and how the level of acidity affects the crop.

Important! On summer cottage You can only analyze the current acidity, in other words, find out what acidity the soil currently has.

• Very strongly acidic - pH>4
• Strong acid - 4.1-4.5
• Medium acid - 4.6-5.0
• Weak acid - 5.1-6.0
• Neutral - 6.1-7.4
• Slightly alkaline - 7.5-8.5
• Strongly alkaline - 8.6-10
• Strongly alkaline - pH

The permissible norm for horticultural crops is 4.5-7.4 .

Soil acidity for major vegetable crops, flowers and trees

Creating comfortable conditions for the growth of garden crops, it is first of all worth considering soil pH value.

This indicator affects the health of the plant to a greater extent than other factors (lighting, temperature).

pH standards for vegetable crops:

• Potato - 5-5.5
• Tomatoes - 6-6.7
• Cucumbers - 7
• Pepper - 6-7
• Onion - 6-7.4

pH standards for fruits and berries:

• Blueberry - 3.5-4.5
• Grape - 5-7
• Apple tree - 5.5-6.5
• Currant - 6-6.5
• Gooseberry - 6-7.4
• Cherry - 7
• Strawberry - 5-6
• Raspberries - 4.5-7
• Honeysuckle - 6-8.5

pH standards for ornamental plants:

• Roses - 6-6.5
• Thuja - 6-7.5
• Petunia - 6-7.5
• Rhododendron - 4-5.5
• Balsam - 6-6.5

Determination of acidity using indicator plants

Most cultural and wild plants prefer neutral soils . But among them we can distinguish those that prefer acidic or alkaline soils.

They are called indicator plants. If you carefully study what types of plants grow in your area, you can determine the acidity of the soil without special tools.

Low pH The following plants are preferred:

• Pusher
• Small sorrel
• Large, medium and lanceolate plantains
• Phytonym
• Zyabra
• Meadow mint
• Sivets
• Creeping buttercup
• Nivyanyk

Weeds that prefer slightly acidic environment (pH 5.1 – 6.0):

• Three-rib perforated
• Twofoil
• Field bindweed
• Thistle vegetable
• Creeping and meadow clover

Alkaline and neutral soils populate:

• Smolevka white
• White pigweed
• Larkspur
• Field mustard
• Alfalfa
• Seed vetch
• Polevitsa
• Bonfire without bones
• Meadow bluegrass

Determining soil acidity using folk remedies

There are several ways to measure pH levels without instruments and indicators:

• Chalk, being alkaline compound, reacts with acid, resulting in the formation carbon dioxide. In a bottle, mix chalk, soil from the garden and water in equal parts, put a balloon on the neck of the bottle and thoroughly shake the mixture in the bottle. If the ball gradually inflates, then the soil is highly acidic.

• Brewed leaves black currant are an excellent natural indicator. The decoction should be made as follows: one teaspoon chopped leaves into 250 g boiling water. If you place soil in a decoction of blackcurrant leaves, after a while the water will change color. If the broth turns red, then the soil has a low pH level. Blue color indicates a medium level of acidity, and green indicates a high level

Determining soil acidity using litmus paper

Litmus paper- the most common way to measure acidity levels.

It is sold in a chemical store and is yellow stripe, complete with a scale with multi-colored divisions.

To use a litmus indicator you need to take 3-4 soil samples from your garden and add a little distilled water.

The indicator must be soaked in the resulting solution, then applied to the scale and the result assessed.

Its scale displays the following results:

• Red color - acidity less than 5
• The piece of paper remained orange - 5.1-5.5
• Litmus showed yellow - 5.6-6
• Green tint - 6.1-7.1
• Bright green - 7.1-8.5

In different parts of the garden, the soil may have different pH levels, you should visually divide the entire soil into several parts.

They can help you with this weeds. If the same type of weed grows on a site, then soil samples are taken from four places in parts of the world.

If indicator plants stand out on the site from different groups according to the type of acidity, then soil samples must be taken from the places where these plants grow.

Meters for determining soil acidity

If more accurate indicators are required, they will come to the rescue special devices, such as pH meter (pH-meter, pH-tester).

Modern models show not only acidity, but also humidity, temperature, and the percentage of soil illumination. There is a pH meter several types:

• Portable- measures soil and liquid parameters, battery operated, easy to use, no larger than the palm of your hand
• Stationary- installed in a specific place to constantly monitor soil acidity. Such a device allows you to compare data after applying certain fertilizers.
• Waterproof- designed for measuring the characteristics of various liquids, including aquarium water

The most popular portable models for home use are pH meters as follows manufacturers:

• Ecounit ZD05(average price 2700 rubles)
• Kecheng KC 300(average price 3000 rub.)
• ZD Instrument ZD 05(average price 3800 rubles)

You can purchase meters in specialized retail networks and online stores.

How does an electronic meter work?

The electrode located in the device creates voltage and fixes the degree of hydrogen activity. This parameter is translated into acidity level and displayed on the screen.

For elimination errors in the measurement it is necessary to carry out periodic calibration - returning the measurement accuracy to the original value.

To do this, you should purchase a special buffer solution for electronic meters, allowing to eliminate errors. When purchasing, you should consult with the seller.

How to reduce soil acidity

There are several effective ways For increasing pH levels:

1. For soil liming can be used slaked lime, dolomite flour, drywall (lake lime). Mode of application: 100 gr one of these substances is diluted 1 liter of water. Next, the acidified areas are watered. Application rates depend on the degree of acidity of the soil: on strongly acidic soils, more abundant watering should be carried out. To achieve the desired result, through 2-3 days Soil pH measurements should be repeated
2. Calcium fertilizer– you can use crushed chalk, peat or wood ash. Enough to prepare fertilizer 1 tbsp. spoons of chalk or ash on 1 liter of water. Fertilizing the soil with calcium is carried out according to the same principle as liming.
3. Fertilizing with complex fertilizers. Complex fertilizers- These are ready-made mixtures containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The following fertilizers are well suited to reduce soil acidity: diammophos, potassium nitrate, nitrophoska, karboammophos. Fertilizing can be done in spring and autumn season. Directions for use are indicated on the packaging
4. Growing green manure ( green fertilizers) - this type of plant includes rye, vetch, oats, phacelia, legumes, and lupine. The peculiarity of green manure is that they contain a high concentration of minerals, sugars, nitrogen, starch and proteins. As soon as green fertilizers begin their flowering period, they are plowed or buried in the soil. This will enrich the soil minerals and will help fight high acidity.

How to increase soil acidity

Much less often, gardeners encounter high level pH on your site. But nevertheless, this problem also requires a solution. To reduce the alkali level use:

1. organic fertilizers- such as, for example, manure or pine opal. These substances begin to act as they decompose and have a long-term effect. But don't expect quick results from the natural fertilization process.
2. aluminum sulfate- used to quickly reduce alkali levels. On 1 sq.m. soil is necessary 550 gr. fertilizers This amount is enough to increase acidity by 1 unit
3. sublimated sulfur- it acts a little slower than aluminum sulfate, but it also consumes less. To get the same result it will take about 90 gr. sulfur per 1 sq m
4. urea coated with sulfur- thanks to the combination of these substances, soil oxidation occurs within 1-2 weeks. For 1 sq. m. soil will be required 110-150 g urea, depending on the composition of the fertilizer. Application rates are also written in the instructions.

You can watch how to determine soil acidity yourself in this video.

• Administrator, by watering with kefir we did not destroy the plant, as could have been done not only with sulfuric acid, but also with other chemicals and solutions. But they actually increased the acidity of the soil because the soil was tested using indicators.
• Alya Garifullina, Anya, hello! And if on the soil surface (in flower pot in particular) white coating, does this mean the soil is acidic?
• In fact, the opposite is true: the higher the pH, the more alkaline the soil; the lower the pH, the more acidic.
• The author of the article got everything wrong with the soil pH, everything is just the opposite. He also writes that the more lime, the more acidic (Appendix No. 1) the soil is ABSURD! Don't write anymore, but study well!
• Yes guys, study. The word TOMATO in plural has the ending -OV, POMODOROV. And there are a lot of commas that are placed incorrectly. Manager, edit the text carefully.
• Alexey, the child made a mistake when writing his work. We noticed this ourselves, but it was already too late. The work was already posted on the site.
• Martin. We have already written about the error in the RN earlier. And in Appendix No. 1 you obviously misunderstood. I quote - “It’s better suited for a flower slightly acidic soil. That is, the soil - in which there should be more lime."
• Galina, of course there are grammatical errors in the work, because the child is just learning. This is his first independent work, as they say, without cuts. We do not pretend to be geniuses and scholars. For me, it’s better to read such a work than an abstract in which there is not a single word of your own, “licked from cover to cover.” I would like a discussion on the topic of work. Can someone share their experience in determining soil acidity. And not just writing something, as long as there is credit for the discussion.
• Radmila, if a child had shared _his_ method of determining acidity, then this work would not have been worth it. And because This method was stolen from the Internet, and besides, it contains a fundamental error, then there is still little criticism of this “work”. Where was the “leader” looking? This is our modern education.
  And actually, I don’t understand, Radmila - was it you who studied in the second “A” grade a year ago or who? Who is behind the name Radmila?
  And the work needs to be removed from the site - otherwise the shame will only increase.
• Alexei, which method contains an error?
• Both methods are correct. The first one is widely known. I haven't seen the second one. I admit that this is the invention of a second grader. Bravo! I was wrong with my assessment being too harsh. There is know-how.
  The words “and also contains a fundamental error” refer to the classification of soil relative to pH.
  This needs to be changed, otherwise everything will be turned upside down.

• Novel

  May 16, 2013, 11:31 pm

  People purposefully search for information and I am no exception in this case, but unfortunately, instead of finding answers to my questions, I received even more questions than answers. It is impossible to post material on such serious issues for public viewing as if it had been verified, or maybe even without verification at all - the negative impact on the teacher is clear!
  I propose to check and work on errors, cross out the erroneous ones in the appropriate places and write the truth. In comments where people point out errors, make a note “corrected in the article”

• Victor

  3 September 2013, 10:42

  Radmila, good afternoon! Regarding the statements of Dear Alexey - alas, he got everything mixed up (sometimes). See. http://www.o-smorodine.ru/kak-virastit-smorodinu/47-kak-opredelit-kislotnost-pochvi.html - it correctly describes acidity indicators - the higher the pH, the LESS acidic the soil (i.e. pH is an indicator of the “alkalinity” of the soil). We won’t talk about the absence of some commas in his comments - this already smacks of flooding. Alechka, good luck in your studies and become a great agronomist!

• Hope	November 29, 2013, 10:57

  I have long been looking for a simple way to test the acidity of the soil without buying special analyzers, and accidentally came across this work. At first I simply skimmed the entire article, focusing in detail only on the verification options. The kefir experiment interested me, and when I saw the signature at the end of the article - honestly! - I almost fell out of my chair in surprise that this was the work of a second-grader girl. I re-read it again and already noticed (I am a philologist by training) some childishness of the syllable and minor errors in this context. But for me this is not important, I emphasize again, in this context, since I finally found the necessary information in a simple presentation. Many thanks to those who teach children in this gymnasium for caring about the future of our country and for the pleasant impressions of work. Well done, Radmila!
• Thank you for the article, it was very useful for me!
• Dear ones, wonderful article. I didn't notice any discrepancies. And the grown-up uncles and aunties themselves got something wrong...
  Read more carefully. I'm glad you're smart! And it is clear that adults have a huge role in the design of the work, but is this really the main thing, since the child is only eight years old!
• Yes guys, I’m a newbie, I’m learning a lot on my own and you completely confused me on this issue.
• the fact that the work was written by a 2nd grade student should be indicated at the VERY BEGINNING, so that people don’t waste time.... the search engine gives a link in the first pages, and the information in some places in the article is quite primitive and dubious... personally, I’m against it something like that, for children on the Internet there are their own sites and pages, let young naturalists-writers practice there... there are enough adult “wise men”...
• Radmila, radmila Thanks a lot. Very useful article. The text is easy to read and well remembered.
• It is in vain that some readers are unhappy with the article. Well done girl! I read it with pleasure and noted something for myself. I didn’t notice any inconsistencies in the essence of the question, but grammatical errors are the responsibility of the teacher.
• Thank you. I emphasized for myself, in particular, checking for soil acidity. Useful article.
• With all due respect to the author, pH9- alkaline soil, but not slightly acidic.
  You need to know these things.
• complete absurdity. mismatch of chemistry. physics and common sense. I need to study better. and the one who checked along the way did not go to school at all. For the rest, read the comments.
• I was looking for an answer to my question for a very long time, because on all the sites, in order to understand something, you either need to be an agronomist, or have a good knowledge of chemistry, and I’m a designer by profession) I’ve been looking for a long time for a way to test the acidity of the soil, but I’ve never even heard of them !but now I’ll try) if you, of course, grow strawberries in the fields, then, of course, this article will not be enough, but if I have 5 rows of strawberries, then, believe me, I have absolutely no time to delve into a bunch of chemical processes . And as for the grammatical errors...how smart you all are here! There are only professors! If this article was on the Russian language, then yes. And in this situation, the information itself is important, and not where the comma is, although grammar is also welcome. If you need a super smart article from an experienced agronomist, there are a ton of them on the Internet. If your knowledge allows you to understand them - go ahead!) People, be simpler and kinder! Life will be easier, believe me. Thanks for the article!))
• For the second grade, it’s simply great that the child has a general understanding of acidity/alkalinity. I personally only learned about this during an agronomy course at the Agricultural Academy.
  The article has no scientific value, there are errors, I hope that people will be more careful and see the author before relying on it in their everyday life. It’s still easier to determine pH now with a device or strips, it’s a matter of 200-500 rubles, but the result is verified.

• Faith

  11 January 2016, 17:28

  The comments were confusing, but I was the first to learn that the acidity of the soil can be determined in this way, but I would like to gain experience not from a child, but from a professional. I have a problem, I work in winter garden, but there is almost no information on how to care for plants in greenhouses. There is a white-gray coating on the ground, I assume the soil is salinized (it hasn’t changed for 30 years), but what should I do about it?
• Baby Radmila, I sympathize with you that you have leaders who fill your head with incorrect information!
  Leader Zifa Raisovna, take pity on the children and don’t bother them with your illiteracy! They are drawn to KNOWLEDGE, but you stuff them with nonsense!
• oh, this is second grade... And I was preparing to reproach the author for his weirdness.
• Thanks for the article! Now I know what kind of soil I have on my site
• To passing commentators: It is very unpedagogical to “stab” a student with your “valuable” comments. YOU CAN NOT DO IT THIS WAY!!! There is information on the issue, and thanks for it. The rest is only yours Bad mood and dissatisfaction with life, raise your spiritual level, because solving your problems at the expense of young people means falling below what is acceptable.

• Irina

  21 May 2016, 06:19

  Alena, it was not pedagogical to post all this on the Internet. Here, you know, adults solve their adult problems. Therefore, in order not to deal a blow to the self-esteem of a child unprepared for the realities, such work had to be placed in Murzilka or somewhere else without the ability to leave comments to other visitors. The result is that the child was simply unlucky with his teachers. Both in terms of education and in terms of preparation for adult life.
• I simply don’t have enough words to say, woe to the commentators. In this work, everything is presented at 5++++++.. And you, citizens, need to learn to read more carefully. You seem to be at odds with the Russian language, and apparently with early years. It is a fact that it was said above that the acidity of the soil changes with the amount of lime in the soil. But the commentators turned everything upside down. This article correctly states that “Acidity depends on the presence and amount of lime in the soil. If there is little lime in the soil, then the soil becomes acidic.” Who can refute the fact that the less lime in the soil, the more acidic the soil becomes? I understand that if a second grader had written that the more lime, the less acid in the soil, then everyone would understand. And so, if the child wrote it the other way around, then the “smart” uncles and aunties could not turn on their brains and understand what was said in this phrase.. You are all eagerly trying to judge the sins of others,
  start with your own people and you won’t get to others... AND A HUGE REPECT TO THE SECOND GRADER. KEEP IT UP..
• And in the second grade they don’t teach chemistry yet

• Just Zhenya

  17 May 2018, 07:28

  But I’m just watering the plants in the garden with sulfuric and other acids, because the soil is highly alkaline!