My quick question, if I take the ph of my water going in and take the ph of the first part of run off under the center of the pot and add them together and divide by two is this a correct way of determining the ph of my soil? I am using a smart pot and FF OF soil. I am also using a HM digital ph and tds combo meter that is calibrated. Thank you for your time
the short answer is “No”.
Do a search on “slurry test” to get instructions to properly test soil pH. Alternatively, at some expense, you can purchase a pH pen that is designed to directly test soil pH.
@Covertgrower may have slurry test instructions handy.
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I have done a slurry test but only dirt a taken a few inches deep. So I don’t know if is accurate not being from deeper in the pot.
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So what is the reason for testing the run off ph
It gives you an indication of what soil pH is relative to the pH going in. I don’t worry about runoff pH unless I see an issue that I need to diagnose. If the runoff is way off, then I test the soil pH and TDS.
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Thank you for your time I gave one more thing to ask . If my ph going in is 6.5 how far should the run off stay. I gave read and read and read till my head hurts on this subject I am just trying to learn.
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If the runoff is within .3 or so of the target, then I consider the soil pH to be fine.
Others may have different criteria.
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I would say even within .75 of a point. It’s not really that far off.
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