Testing soil pH

[Asica]

Ok so the truth is I have never tested my soil, although I consider my self a pretty good gardener.
So now I bought a kit and I am ready to use it but I am not sure how to do it. So my soil is cover with mulch, and then I have keyhole garden that has the soil I put in (mulch, compost, manure, top soil). Do you test the original soil that you have in your garden? Or do you take some of the mulch too? Mainly, I need to know if soil pH is low enough for blueberries that I am planning on putting in a keyhole. TIA

[imafan26]

To take a soil sample you actually dig down about 4 inches into the soil and take a scoopful from the side of the hole. You repeat the holes every two feet or so until you cover the area you want tested. Mix the soil samples up in a bucket and bag about 2 cups and that is what you test. You want to test the soil at the root level so you don't want the mulch or the surface dirt that just blew in. You take multiple samples so you get an average sample.

You can test a raised bed that you have built, but it is easier to wait a year for everything to break down before you do that.

I tried the pH test kits from the garden center but they did not work out. You have to use distilled water so you don't end up sampling the water.

I send my samples to the University extension. I have done them about 3 times and they are about the same. One garden did drop the phosphorus and potassium, the other two are so extremely locked up, it will take years before I see a drop. I only test every two or three years. I don't add any chicken manure (it will make my soil much more alkaline and the compost I am using has a high pH.) I add nitrogen in divided doses. I do use slow release and citrus food in pots.

[Asica]

Thank you for the great responds.