Before you decide on planting something in your garden, it is advised that you use a soil tester to make sure the land is fertile, healthy, and it can provide you with great crops. Luckily, you can do these types of tests yourself, without any professional assistance. All you need is a soil tester and just a little bit of free time. The procedure itself is not at all expensive or time-consuming. Plus, it is definitely worth it, since it would be much more frustrating to realize that the soil is not fit for growing crops after you’ve already tried and failed. Today, we are going to explore why you should use a soil tester, what it shows you, and where you can get one.
Why Do I Need to Use a Soil Tester?
In order for the soil to be fit for planting fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers, or whatever else you’d like to plant, it has to have some nutrients. There is no possible way of finding out precisely the number of nutrients in your soil, other than to do a soil test. Usually, the right amount is somewhere between a pH level of 6 and 6.5. If you use a soil tester and you notice a higher pH level, this is a warning sign that the soil doesn’t have enough nutrients. That way, you know exactly when to use fertilizer and when not to. There is no reason to spend money on it if your soil has enough nutrients. That is precisely when a soil tester comes in, to help you find that out.
What Will the Soil Tester Show Me?
As we’ve already established above, a soil tester will tell you how healthy and fertile your soil is. It will look at the pH levels and it will show any nutrient deficiencies. Furthermore, it will tell you exactly how much you have to fertilize your plants. Fruits, vegetables, herbs, and so on, thrive in different soil acidity levels. So after you’ve used the soil tester to determine the acidity, you can work on improving that. Or you can consider planting something that you already know will do well under the circumstances.
What Is the Best Time to Do a Soil Test?
Usually, you should do a soil test once a year, in the autumn. However, this depends on what you want to plant and when. So if you need to do it more than once, that constitutes no problem whatsoever. As an extra tip, we advise you not to do one when the soil has been fertilized recently, or when it is wet.
Where Can I Get a Soil Tester?
Soil testers are not difficult to find, and they are not expensive either. For instance, you could try ordering the MoonCity Plant Tester
. It helps you look at soil moisture, light, and pH, and it requires no batteries. You can purchase it right now for only $12.99.
Overall, having a soil tester around the house is advisable for people who like tending to their garden and planting new things. Use it to test the soil and make an informed decision about what you should plant next.
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