For healthy plant growth, it is crucial to know how to test soil pH, as the degree of acidity or alkalinity of the soil affects various plants differently. You can send a sample of your soil to a lab for analysis in order to have its pH measured (usually for a fee). However, you can also use test strips to check the pH of your soil at home. Baking soda and vinegar can be used to test your soil if you don't want to buy the test strips. Here are the two best at-home ways to test your soil's pH value.

Soil pH Test Using Baking Soda and Vinegar

To test the pH of your soil at home, first scoop a small amount of soil from the planting area into two clean containers. Take some soil from a few inches below the surface of the ground. There should be around 1 cup of soil in each container. Remove any pebbles, sticks, or other debris, and break up any clumps.

Take a mixed soil sample for the best results. If your vegetable or flower seeds are spread across a large area, such as an entire lawn, take samples from several areas of the lawn and mix them together for testing.

One soil sample container should receive 1/2 cup of distilled water. Stir the mixture with a spoon. Add another 1/2 cup of white vinegar after that. The pH of the soil is alkaline if there is observable bubbling or fizzing action. The stronger the fizzing action, the higher the pH of the soil.

Now combine your second soil container with 1/2 cup of distilled water. Add another 1/2 cup of baking soda after that. If the soil fizzles or bubbles, it is acidic.

You can see the reaction that occurs when an alkaline material comes into contact with acidic soil (baking soda). Once more, the intensity of the fizzing activity shows how acidic the soil is. It's normal to observe a small amount of fizzing as most soils are slightly acidic to begin with.

Soil pH Test Using Strips

Gather a variety of soil samples from your planting area and mix them together. Using your trowel, go a few inches below the surface of the earth, and then place the soil in a clean container. It doesn't have to be precisely one cup, but you'll need somewhere between half a cup and one cup of dirt. Clear the soil of debris and break up clumps.

Fill your container with distilled water until it reaches the same level as the soil. Stir the mixture well, then set it aside for about 30 minutes.

Place the soil sample in another clean container once you have passed it through a coffee filter. Make sure the liquid can travel through while the solids are retained.

Dip the soil pH test strip into the liquid. Pay attention to the test's accompanying instructions for how long to soak the test strip in the liquid. When the test strip changes color, check the pH by comparing the color to the chart shown on the test strip’s box.

While at-home tests are less accurate than lab tests, following either of these methods can give you a general indication of the acidity or alkalinity of your soil!