Nurseries and Arizona State University horticulture department all say the soil and the water in Phoenix area are alkaline it will usually test about 8 or higher on the alkaline scale.
I bought a Ferry Morse soil ph tester from Lowe's $20. It looks like a volt meter the needle is on 6.5 ph all the time. I put the battery in the tester and turned it on the needle never moves from 6.5.
Following the instructions, wet the soil, insert the 2 prongs into the soil wait 10 seconds for the reeding.
Arizona soil tests 6.5
Miracle grow potting soil tests 6.5
Tap water tests 6.5
Swimming pool water tests 6.5
1/4 cup water + 1 tsp of baking soda tests 4
1/4 cup of vingar right out of the bottle tests 4
Fresh horse manure tests 6.5
Aged wet horse manure tests 6.5
Compost tests 6.5
Cup of coffee with sugar tests 6.5
Urine tests 6.5
Cake batter tests 6.5
Soy sauce tests 6.5
Wet sand tests 6.5
I think this tester is worthless.
I planted several plants after 2 months they are still the same size and looking very green. Been using fertilizer too but not very much. They were nice and green for the whole 2 months then turned a little bit yellow and died. I am trying to figure out what is wrong. I talked to a man at the horticulture department he said, desert plants don't care the soil is alkaline but other plants do. Remove the deserts from this terrible soil and they grow faster than weeds. He told me to buy an alkaline tester so I can adjust the soil ph so it is slightly on the acid side. I know from college chemistry 7 is neutral ph so 6.5 would be slightly acid.
I have some plants that are growing in the compost pile they are doing fine. Plants in AZ soil all died.
I need an accurate way to test the soil so I can get it adjusted to 6.5 and know for sure it is 6.5 PH any ideas???
https://cals.arizona.edu/yavapai/anr/hor ... lprep.html
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Gary350
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- Posts: 7428
- Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:59 pm
- Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.
Soil Alkaline Tester, plants are not growing.
Last edited by Gary350 on Mon Jan 28, 2013 1:57 am, edited 3 times in total.
Call your local Master gardener office. They can tell you how to get your soil tested. You can go online for pubs on how to take a soil sample.
The soil test will also give you information on other nutrients and recommendations for how much to add to adjust pH, and nutrients. You can request organic solutions. Send a leaf sample with the soil. Don't expect fast results if you're lucky you will get a result in a few weeks. It depends on where you take the sample and how backed up the lab is.
I tried those soil test kits. It was not a meter. The instructions said to use distilled water. or the results could be influenced by the pH of the water.
The soil test will also give you information on other nutrients and recommendations for how much to add to adjust pH, and nutrients. You can request organic solutions. Send a leaf sample with the soil. Don't expect fast results if you're lucky you will get a result in a few weeks. It depends on where you take the sample and how backed up the lab is.
I tried those soil test kits. It was not a meter. The instructions said to use distilled water. or the results could be influenced by the pH of the water.
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
I tried to get into the University of Arizona website but could not get in.
Univ of Arizona does have a cooperative extension and does soil tests. You might have to call the University to get the phone number to the master gardeners or their email. (520) 621-7621 College of Agriculture.
Rather than fight the soil. Why not grow in raised beds with a custom mix.
I found a site that said most Arizona soils have a pH of 8.0-8.5.
It might be easier to plant vegetables that tolerate higher pH like cabbages and beets.
Adding compost will help a lot along with acidic amendments. Compost will help to buffer the pH of the soil and retain moisture. Foliar feeding with fish emulsion or other foliar feeding will help. Foliar feeding is best done early in the morning when the stomata are still open and apply the feeding under the leaves.
Below are some links that might help with managing alkaline soils.
https://www.phoenixtropicals.com/vegetables.html
https://extension.usu.edu/files/publicat ... 003-02.pdf
https://www.the-compost-gardener.com/low ... il-ph.html
Univ of Arizona does have a cooperative extension and does soil tests. You might have to call the University to get the phone number to the master gardeners or their email. (520) 621-7621 College of Agriculture.
Rather than fight the soil. Why not grow in raised beds with a custom mix.
I found a site that said most Arizona soils have a pH of 8.0-8.5.
It might be easier to plant vegetables that tolerate higher pH like cabbages and beets.
Adding compost will help a lot along with acidic amendments. Compost will help to buffer the pH of the soil and retain moisture. Foliar feeding with fish emulsion or other foliar feeding will help. Foliar feeding is best done early in the morning when the stomata are still open and apply the feeding under the leaves.
Below are some links that might help with managing alkaline soils.
https://www.phoenixtropicals.com/vegetables.html
https://extension.usu.edu/files/publicat ... 003-02.pdf
https://www.the-compost-gardener.com/low ... il-ph.html
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Gary350
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 7428
- Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:59 pm
- Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.
Arizona is like living in a 3rd world country with it comes to gardening. There is no such thing as a garden center here. Nurseries sell trees and bushes. Lowes and Home Depot sell a few plants like $5 for 1 tomato plant. There is a very limited supply of fertilizers only in small 5 lb bags for $10 each. No one sells 0-45-0 tripple super phosphate, bone meal, sulfur or anything else related to gardening. No one sells bulk seeds either. Cow manure and Steer manure are available for $1 per bag = 5 gallons. I don't think there is much demand for gardening here. Now is the time to get a garden started but prices are so unreasonable I refuse to pay the asking price. $4.00 for a pack of 20 bush bean seeds, 20 squash seeds, 20 corn seeds, etc.
I have a raised bed made with bag cow manure. I have never been a fan of growing plants un-natural but it seems to be the only way at the moment.
I have a raised bed made with bag cow manure. I have never been a fan of growing plants un-natural but it seems to be the only way at the moment.
Speaking of third world countries. 90% of everything we eat and use is shipped in and every year the transportation costs rise. This year it was 5% plus a $75 per container fee.
On the other hand there are places to get stuff for the garden. I can get horse manure for free. The stables don't separate the old stuff and the new so assume it is fresh. Tree trimmers are more than willing to drop a load of trimmings when they are working nearby, that way they do not have to pay tipping fees. We have green recycling and mulch is free at certain sites. Some zoos also have zoodoo sometimes they leave it outside the zoo for anyone to get it.
You already make your own compost and you can make vermicast although unless you have a friend the worms are expensive.
Green manures: cow peas are easy. If the seed packets are expensive get dried beans black eyed peas from the grocery. I can also get alfalfa, mung bean and fenugreek from health food stores sold in bulk as sprouting seeds a lot cheaper than a pack of seeds. I also collect and dry seeds of marigolds, cowpeas, soybeans, sesame, safflower, beans and dill. so I have a semi perpetual supply.
Plant sources: seed exchanges, neighbors, friends, garage sales, plant sales. You can't go to garage sales looking for anything in particular. Wherever you get plant material,you need to check them carefully for hitchhikers.
I do admit I still have to buy some seeds, but I will shop around. I shop online catalogs. I have a better selection. Seed prices have doubled in the last couple of years. I can get local seeds. They tend to be pricier unless I buy in bulk, but they will be suitable for growing here. The University has a seed program. Not a lot of choices, but they are $1 a packet and I can get more tobasco pepper seeds (Hawaiian chili) from the University than from seed racks.
The local agricultural supply dealers. Fertilizer, media, compost are sold in bulk bags but cheaper than retail. Call to see if they do retail. If you have a friend with a business or if you go there often there are additional savings if you have an account. Same with irrigation suppliers. More products of better quality available and additional discounts with an account. Even home depot sells bargain boxes of broken bags. You have to buy the whole pallet. Also shop at the end of the season. The stores mark down the inventory to make way for the holiday items.
Want cheaper organic components. The local feed store is good for cottonseed meal, bag balm and saddle soap (for hands and leather),straw,alfalfa pellets (horse pellets)sometimes Sam's club carries it, but not all of the time. Now if I could only find bulk bags of rabbit pellets.
Media is expensive. I can sometimes get dirt free by canvassing the newer neighborhoods. The first thing people do here is put up walls and they have a pile of dirt that if you ask they'd let you have for free.
I could go to the chicken farm and get chicken manure from them for less But I don't use chicken manure anymore because it makes soil more alkaline.
What media I do have I can recycle. Whatever I have in pots go into the garden, and I will use the new media in the pots after they get bleached.
I tried reusing the orchid media, a big mistake even with bleach. Now, I use the old media for mulch and to fill holes. Works out much better.
On the other hand there are places to get stuff for the garden. I can get horse manure for free. The stables don't separate the old stuff and the new so assume it is fresh. Tree trimmers are more than willing to drop a load of trimmings when they are working nearby, that way they do not have to pay tipping fees. We have green recycling and mulch is free at certain sites. Some zoos also have zoodoo sometimes they leave it outside the zoo for anyone to get it.
You already make your own compost and you can make vermicast although unless you have a friend the worms are expensive.
Green manures: cow peas are easy. If the seed packets are expensive get dried beans black eyed peas from the grocery. I can also get alfalfa, mung bean and fenugreek from health food stores sold in bulk as sprouting seeds a lot cheaper than a pack of seeds. I also collect and dry seeds of marigolds, cowpeas, soybeans, sesame, safflower, beans and dill. so I have a semi perpetual supply.
Plant sources: seed exchanges, neighbors, friends, garage sales, plant sales. You can't go to garage sales looking for anything in particular. Wherever you get plant material,you need to check them carefully for hitchhikers.
I do admit I still have to buy some seeds, but I will shop around. I shop online catalogs. I have a better selection. Seed prices have doubled in the last couple of years. I can get local seeds. They tend to be pricier unless I buy in bulk, but they will be suitable for growing here. The University has a seed program. Not a lot of choices, but they are $1 a packet and I can get more tobasco pepper seeds (Hawaiian chili) from the University than from seed racks.
The local agricultural supply dealers. Fertilizer, media, compost are sold in bulk bags but cheaper than retail. Call to see if they do retail. If you have a friend with a business or if you go there often there are additional savings if you have an account. Same with irrigation suppliers. More products of better quality available and additional discounts with an account. Even home depot sells bargain boxes of broken bags. You have to buy the whole pallet. Also shop at the end of the season. The stores mark down the inventory to make way for the holiday items.
Want cheaper organic components. The local feed store is good for cottonseed meal, bag balm and saddle soap (for hands and leather),straw,alfalfa pellets (horse pellets)sometimes Sam's club carries it, but not all of the time. Now if I could only find bulk bags of rabbit pellets.
Media is expensive. I can sometimes get dirt free by canvassing the newer neighborhoods. The first thing people do here is put up walls and they have a pile of dirt that if you ask they'd let you have for free.
I could go to the chicken farm and get chicken manure from them for less But I don't use chicken manure anymore because it makes soil more alkaline.
What media I do have I can recycle. Whatever I have in pots go into the garden, and I will use the new media in the pots after they get bleached.
I tried reusing the orchid media, a big mistake even with bleach. Now, I use the old media for mulch and to fill holes. Works out much better.
Last edited by imafan26 on Sun Jan 27, 2013 10:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
You could grow the pH tolerant vegetables in your soil with your compost mixed in.
Grow the acid loving plants in containers. 18 gallon tubs work fine for 1 large tomato. That way you will need relatively less soil for the plants. After the season, recyle the potted soil into your planting beds and gradually you can build the planting bed up a little at a time.
Start with a 4x4 bed and add on additional sections later. If you can find a place that uses pallets, you might be able to get them free or at low cost, since they are usually tossed out. Use the untreated pallets. Take them apart and rebuild them. They will only last a few years unless they are sealed but, they are very low cost to build.
https://www.cheapvegetablegardener.com/
https://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/garden/az1005.pdf
https://www.harvestingrainwater.com/tucs ... -calendar/
https://www.les.biffle.org/tomatoes.html
Grow the acid loving plants in containers. 18 gallon tubs work fine for 1 large tomato. That way you will need relatively less soil for the plants. After the season, recyle the potted soil into your planting beds and gradually you can build the planting bed up a little at a time.
Start with a 4x4 bed and add on additional sections later. If you can find a place that uses pallets, you might be able to get them free or at low cost, since they are usually tossed out. Use the untreated pallets. Take them apart and rebuild them. They will only last a few years unless they are sealed but, they are very low cost to build.
https://www.cheapvegetablegardener.com/
https://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/garden/az1005.pdf
https://www.harvestingrainwater.com/tucs ... -calendar/
https://www.les.biffle.org/tomatoes.html