Do you ever wonder what it is going to take for your flowers to bloom just like in other people’s gardens? Do you have any idea where you should pant all your veggies? Are you looking for the perfect way to test the quality of the soil and is it good enough for your plants? Are you worried about the quality of the water in your home? If your answer is yes to even one or all the questions above mentioned then you have come to the right place! There is only one thing that you will need to answer all those questions in your mind and that is the best pH tester kit. This is a tool that has completely revolutionized the way people assess the quality of the soil in order to determine the condition of the soil. It can be used in testing the quality of the soil and it can also be used to test the quality of the water in your home. Here we are going to look at the best pH testers that are available in the market. If you decide to purchase any of the following kits, you will instantly become a pro-Gardner!
Why should you use a pH tester kit?
First of all, let us understand the importance of a good pH tester kit in gardening. One of the best reasons to use a pH tester kit is that you will be aware of the soil for your plants is good enough or not. However, you do need to keep in mind that not all types of plants require the same type of soil. Different plants have different requirements. This happens especially in terms of the pH levels in the soil. If the pH level in the soil is too much or too low then the health of the plant is going to be affected a lot and it will suffer.
If the soil in your garden has way too much calcium, then the pH tester will indicate that there is a high level of alkaline in your soil. However, if there is a lot of high concentration of Phosphorous, then the readings on the pH tester s going to show that the soil is acidic. You need to understand that when there is a high level of alkaline or acid in the salt then the plants are not going to be able to grow as healthy plants and your flowers are not going to bloom at all. This is why you need a pH tester with which you are going to be able to test your soil and you will be able to avoid any frustrations in gardening.
What are the different types of pH tester?
Different types of pH tester are going to be giving you a different kind of effectiveness when it comes to results. The most affordable pH testers are available in the market in the form of a strip or paper. In this scenario, the color of the pH tester paper is going to change according to the pH levels in your soil that you are testing. It is going to easily determine the corresponding pH level and you will be able to find it out depending on the color that it turns into.
Another type of pH tester is the one where there are probes or sticks. Most of the options that are going to be mentioned in this review are going to fall under this category of pH testers. All you need to do with this tye of the pH tester is just stick the probe into the soil and on the other end, you will discover the pH levels of that said soil.
There are also options available in the market that you can go for that are completely electronic or digital pH testers. This is the most advanced form of pH tester out of the three types and it is usually also the most expensive when it comes to the bill. The results from this type of pH tester are very accurate and a lot of the professionals prefer this because of the convenience that comes with it.
How to choose the best pH tester kit?
In the same manner that you shop for other gardening tools, you are going to have to face a lot of options and the options can sometimes be a bit overwhelming. But, it does not matter how many options there are to choose from, you should still take your time to evaluate the best out of the best from those said options. This is going to be much easier for you when it comes to selecting a pH tester for your soil if you keep the below-given points in mind when you are in the market looking for the perfect pH testing kit for yourself.
Ease of use
Name a person who does not have complications! This is why you need to select the pH tester kit that is going to be as effortless to use as possible. The pH testing kit should have a simple enough design for everyone to understand and you need the manufacturer to provide as detailed instructions for the pH testing kit as possible on how to use the pH testing kit.
Accuracy
The pH tester kit that you buy is going to be utterly useless if you are going to buy one that can not show any accurate results to save its life. One of the best ways in which you will be able to determine the accuracy of the pH tester is by reading the reviews that are sent in by the previous users of the same pH testing kit. By going through the experiences that they share, you are going to be able to easily determine that the pH testing kit is good enough or not.
Versatility
A good option pH testing kit is always going to be the one who will be able to carry out multiple functions at once. While measuring the pH levels in your soil or water, it should also be able to measure the moisture and sunlight as well. This will make the pH testing kit a multifunctional gardening tool.
How you can take care of your pH testing kit?
If you wish to make the most of your pH testing kit and make sure that the kit delivers the most accurate results even when its been years since you bought the pH testing kit, then caring and maintaining it should be of the utmost priority for you. With that said, following are some of the ways that are the most important things that you need to do in order to take care of your pH testing kit.
- Whenever you do not have any use of the pH testing kit or you are not using it, you need to keep it in a safe place. You need to protect the tester from direct heat and moisture. The good thing is that some of the options for best pH testers include a case in which you can easily place it and keep it safe and away from moisture and direct heat.
- It is very important that you use the correct solution for the calibration. This is important in order to make sure that the readings are accurate every time you need it. You also need to make sure that the meter is calibrated according to the instructions from the manufacturer of the tester.
- You need to clean the tester thoroughly every time you use it and are storing it in the case. If you do not clean the tester thoroughly, then there can be traces of soil on the probe which will harden over time and they will be more difficult to remove afterwards.
How to use a pH tester?
This is going to largely depend on the type of pH tester that you want to use and it is going to vary a lot. However, if you decide to use a probe which is one of the most common types of pH tester in the market then following are the steps you need to take in order to use it correctly and get the correct results.
- First of all, you will need to dig a small hole in the part of the garden where you want to test your soil.
- Once you dig the hole deep enough which the manufacturer requires, then you need to fill that hole with water. If you can use filtered water then it would be for the best.
- As soon as the soil turns muddy and all the water has been drained, this is the moment when you can start the test. You need to stick the end of the meter or the probe in the soil that is wet. Then you have to hold it right there for as long as the manufacturer of that specific pH tester has told you in the instructions.
- Now it is time for you to read the results. If the display on the pH tester is showing the number 7, then the soil is neutral. If the display on the pH tester is showing a number less than 7, it means that the soil is acidic. On the other hand, if the display on the pH tester is showing a number larger than 7, it means that the soil is alkaline.
In the end, all you need to do is follow the instructions given by the manufacturer to the letter if you want to be sure of the results that the pH tester is going to give the correct results.
Other ways in which you can test the soil
It is no secret that a pH tester will always come in handy when it comes to testing the soil, there are a lot of other ways in which you can try and test your soil which is recommended by a lot of professional gardeners all around the world. For instance, if you wish to test your soil for alkaline, then you can simply follow the steps given below and you will find out if the soil in your place has alkaline or not.
- First of all, you need to dig for about six inches deep and then collect a soil sample from there.
- Then, you need to remove any sort of debris that might be there with the soil sample in order to make sure that in the sample that you have collected, only soil remains and nothing else. If you find any soil clumps, then you need to first break them before starting the testing.
- Place one cup of the soil in a glass container.
- Then you need to add water to it and mix till the soil becomes muddy.
- Then after the soil is muddy, add half a cup of vinegar and mix it all.
- After mixing it all, if you see bubbles forming, then it is an indicator of alkaline in the soil that you are testing.
After going through the steps that are mentioned above, if you do not see any bubbles then you can proceed to another test. This test will help you determine if the soil is acidic or not. Follow the following simple steps and you will know if the soil is acidic or not.
- Take another soil sample from the exact same place where you got it for the test above.
- Get another cup of soil without any impurities and clumps and put it in a glass container.
Add some water to it and then go on to mix it until it becomes muddy just like you did in the test above. - However, this time instead of putting vinegar, you need to put baking soda in the muddy mix and mix it.
- If you find bubbles forming in the mixture then the soil is acidic. If there are no bubbles when testing the soil for both alkaline and acidic, then it means that your soil is completely neutral.
Even though these tests are amazing alternatives, we still suggest you go for a pH testing kit. There is no substitute for the real thing if you wish for your results to be more accurate. Now, let us get to some of the best pH testers in the market which you can go for, they are mentioned as follows.
The best pH testers 2020 in the market:
If you are not aware of which of the pH testers that are available in the market are worth buying then you do not need to worry as we are going to list the best of them below. Here, we are going to look at some of the pH testers in brief and explain why they have made it to the best pH testing kit review.
#1 Luster Leaf 1605 Rapiest Digital Soil Testing kit:
- Reads test colors utilizing advanced LED digital technology
- Just push test button to get results in a few seconds
The Luster Leaf 1605 Rapiest Digital Soil Testing kit is a very good value for money. This is one of the major reasons as to why the Luster Leaf 1605 Rapiest Digital Soil Testing kit is the first on our best pH testing kit review. Even in such a low price, the Luster Leaf 1605 Rapiest Digital Soil Testing kit will be able to do a lot of other functions and not only measure the pH levels in the soil. The Luster Leaf 1605 Rapiest Digital Soil Testing kit is also capable of testing the soil for phosphorous, nitrogen, and potassium.
The Luster Leaf 1605 Rapiest Digital Soil Testing kit is an exceptional choice to make not only because of the simplicity that it comes with, but it also comes with a guide which will make things a lot easier for you to test your soil. This booklet that comes with the Luster Leaf 1605 Rapiest Digital Soil Testing kit will have more than 450 plants references and it will also give a lot of expert insight in order to show you the correct ways for fertilizing in order to get the absolute best results at the end. This is going to turn you into a pro in the garden.
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#2 Villhome soil pH meter:
One of the best things about the Villhome soil pH meter is that this pH tester is a multipurpose machine. This is one of the things that makes this product completely worth the price you pay for it. The Villhome soil pH meter not only just tests the pH levels in the soil, but it can also test a lot of other stuff such as, light and moisture which makes the Villhome soil pH meter the ultimate gardening companion without which your gardening kit is incomplete.
One of the biggest plus points for the Villhome soil pH meter is the ease of use it comes with. All that is required from your side is to just plug the pH tester into the soil which you want to test and then just look at the screen on the meter. The Villhome soil pH meter has a very high level of sensitivity which makes sure that the results are accurate every time you use this pH tester to test your soil. The fact that the Villhome soil pH meter is accurate is very good but what we liked, even more, is the fact that it does not run on any batteries which makes this completely eco-friendly.
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#3 Jellas soil pH meter:
- 3 IN 1 SOIL TESTER FOR GARDENER -- Designed to know the conditions for your plants! You're able to test the soil moisture, pH value and sunlight level of plant...
- ACCURATE AND RELIABLE READING -- Premium Double-needle design strongly enhances the speed and accuracy of detecting and analyzing soil moisture, pH acidity,...
The Jellas soil pH meter is another option where you can get a pH tester which is a multifunctional gardening tool. Besides testing the pH levels in the soil, the Jellas soil pH meter also can measure the moisture and sunlight in the area where you want to test it. Even though it measures so many things at once, you can relax and trust the Jellas soil pH meter for delivering accurate reports every single time.
Just like a lot of other options that we have mentioned in our best pH tester review, the Jellas soil pH meter also does not require any battery in order to operate which makes this pH testing meter completely eco-friendly as well. You should also be aware that the probe in the Jellas soil pH meter is 8 inches long which will allow you to test the soil with a great depth which will allow the results you get to be more accurate.
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#4 Kelway pHD soil pH meter:
- Hand held size
- Requires no chemicals, power source or distilled water
The Kelway pHD soil pH meter is a bit expensive when we compare it to some of the other pH meters in our best pH tester kit review. However, the higher price can easily be justified by the higher quality and the better performance that the Kelway pHD soil pH meter will give you. This pH meter is an excellent meter for the people who want a product that is easily portable because this is a pH meter which is the handheld size.
One of the best things about the Kelway pHD soil pH meter is the simplicity of it. This is something that just captures your attention to this product. All you will be required to do is dig a small hole in your garden where you want to test the soil. The depth of the said hole in your garden should be about five inches and the width of that hole that you are going to dig needs to be approximately four inches. Then you need to fill the hole with water and then just wait until the water is completely drained. Then all you need to do is put the Kelway pHD soil pH meter in it and wait for the reading.
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#5 Yaheetech pH test indicator strips:
- The test strip color changes must be matched with the pH scale color chart within about 15 seconds.
- Size: 7cm x 4.5cm/2.8 x 1.8 inch
The Yaheetech pH test indicator strip is a unique addition to our best pH tester review because it is not a probe, but it is stripes. The fact that the Yaheetech pH test indicator strips are indeed stripes and not a probe which will do the testing means that this is the much cheaper option in the market.
In order to give you the results, the color of the pH strips is going to change based on the soil that you are testing. In the Yaheetech pH test indicator strips, you will also get an instruction manual which is going to help you in making sure that you are able to determine the pH in the soil which going to vary on a scale of 1 to 14. The scale from 1 to 3 means that it is very acidic. The scale from 4 to 6 means that it is acidic. The scale of 7 is neutral. The scale of 8 to 11 indicates alkaline in the soil. Finally, the scale of 12 to 14 is going to mean that the soil that you are testing has a very high amount of alkaline in it.
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#6 Environmental concepts 1662 professional soil test kit:
- Contains components for 40 tests. 10 each for Soil pH, N, P and K
- Comes with sturdy plastic case
If you are a professional gardener or you want to be a professional gardener then there is no pH testing kit more serious in the market than Environmental concepts 1662 professional soil test kit. The Environmental concepts 1662 professional soil test kit is one of the most professional pH testing kit available in the market. We absolutely love the Environmental concepts 1662 professional soil test kit because this kit has the ability to perform and give accurate results to a massive 40 different types of tests!
While you can easily check the pH level of your soil, you will also be able to use the Environmental concepts 1662 professional soil test kit for the measurement of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. In order to make everything easier for you, the manufacturer has included reference lit along with the Environmental concepts 1662 professional soil test kit which is going to help you easily test and know the pH levels and understand what pH levels are required for different types of plants. In order to keep everything organized and safe and together, the manufacturer also gives you a proper sturdy kit which holds everything together and keeps it organized.
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#7 CSHope pH meter:
- The water tester combines TDS (Total Dissolved Solids), EC (Electrical Conductivity) and Temperature all in one ergonomically designed meter.
- The digital ppm meter measuring range: 0-9999 ppm with accuracy: ± 2%, while the temperature range is 32.0-176.0°F- 0.1 / 80.0°C.
All the products that have been mentioned above have been pH testers that will test the level of pH in your soil, the CSHope pH meter, however, is going to be testing the pH in your water. The CSHope pH meter is extremely useful for swimming pools, aquariums, and also hydroponics among a lot of other applications. The CSHope pH meter is extremely user-friendly as it is designed with keeping all your needs in mind.
The CSHope pH meter offers you automatic calibration. In order to improve the accuracy of the CSHope pH meter, the manufacturer has also added the feature for the automatic temperature compensation. Using the CSHope pH meter is very easy. All you have to do in order to use it is remove the cover of the CSHope pH meter, immerse the whole thing in the liquid that you want to test, turn the tester on, and check the display on the other side for the results.
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Conclusion
Now that we have listed all the best pH testing kits in the market, we hope that you have found the best pH tester kit with the help of our best pH tester kit review. We also hope that you have picked up a thing or two on how to use and maintain the pH tester that you are going to purchase in order to make sure that it works for a long time. Along with the right tools and the correct procedures, you will become very successful in gardening tasks such as figuring out the quality of soil and what it needs and what it does not need in order to grow what you want to grow.
Happy growing!
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