My beefsteak tomatoes ended up being cherry tomatoes this year. Got my bags of compost mixed up and used some that hadn't been aged. It had chicken manure in it, so it was really hot. Didn't realize, what I'd done wrong, until I put a meter, just as he suggests into my soil, and I got readings between 5 & 5.5! No wonder some of my plants died, and the rest were sickly! I'd been spoiled in previous years, as I had access to old hardwood forest soil, so I didn't routinely check my soil ph, and my brother sold his place with the hardwood forest, so I amended my soil more so than usual, and I didn't notice, since I hurried too much, that I was putting compost with fresh manure in it, onto my garden. Once I found my error, I dressed it with dolomite lime, but my season's almost over. My cousin used to say, "The lime let's the fertilizer work. Perhaps an oversimplification, that may not apply everywhere, but down here in the Deep South, we're often in pine forests or former pine forests, so the soil is pretty acidic anyway. C'est la vie. ...Wait'll next year!
@@TheRipeTomatoFarms Hello, I have a question, If my soil in my blueberry pots is 5 PH and I only water with rainwater which is also 5 PH, will the soil remain 5 PH over the years?
Beauty! I think most plants in most situations can deal with slightly acidic conditions... But alkaline soils are a different story. So many nutrients and compounds get locked up and bound to the soil at higher pH's. Right on man.
Its funny, because I hear a lot of people saying to add coffee grounds to acidify your alkaline soils. I always thought so as well. So I researched it a little bit. Turns out that used coffee grounds are actually pH neutral. So while beneficial for the garden, don't expect coffee grounds to help with any high pH issues!
You can use it straight out of the container, fresh, unbrewed. Fresh coffee grounds are more acid than brewed ones. You can also water with diluted brewed coffee, which is good in different ways.
I bought a bunch of live and bare root plants. 3-4 weeks in my strawberries were dying one by one. Only a few plants left and i just bought a ph tester. ph was 5.5.
I have changed soils a couple of times and even locations on the property, to help prevent contamination. I went strictly to container gardening this year, but as I asked around, others are also having issues. I think that heirloom plants are going to be the plant of choice. I know the Ag Colleges have worked on this problem, but so far there seems to be no magic bullet. Thanks for your site!
Dang, that does sound more serious than simply a bad batch of soil. I wonder if the local extension has any answers....and what are local professional growers doing?
Thanks for the support as always buddy! My hope with my videos is that they have staying power as a ranked and searchable topic. Its why I don't really do "farm update" or "hey check this out" vlog style vids. I know those get tons of views, but they don't really HELP people to garden. I want someone 10 years from now, wondering why their kale has yellow veins and going "I wonder if I have a pH problem?"! I'll keep plugging away, and if I can help one person with their garden per day, plus learn new stuff myself in the process, it will all be worth it! :-)
I am a retired organic chemist and, I can vouch for everything you said being 100% correct. Also the dolomite provides magnesium which is an important micronutrient.
I'm trying to lower my alkalinity in my soil. At the same time trying to fix ph in my swimming pool..I used well water .. the water affects my soil doesn't it... this is so confusing to me
I had same ph meter like yours, its seem this ph meter didnt read so well, because i tried it on water liquid and vinegar liquid, the result on vinegar still 7 thats what makes me think this ph meter broke, but if i change it on moisture mode it read 4, so i think moisture mode is the right ph meter
@@TheRipeTomatoFarms yes i still have it and still use it for ph only, but i try to compare it with another ph meter, i'll give u my result after that comparison, But this is my opinion sir, hope get the best result
shucks I should have looked at your site first. I bought one just for soil moisture, Now I have to get this for the PH..lol I bought the other one before I found you and your wonderful channel. Now you are my go to for everything.
I've heard that those meters are not very reliable. I almost bought one today for about $16, but, I looked up on my phone about them, and read that they are not reliable. I almost bought one of the test kits too, with the capsules that you put with soil in the little test tubes, they were about $6, but, I also saw that you can test the PH of your soil using vinegar and baking soda. Also some distilled water for neutral ph, and it's free as long as you have vinegar, baking soda and distilled water, and I have all 3 on hand. Maybe some people are good using those meters, but, I don't trust them. It's BEST to send your soil to be tested by the pro's, they'll tell you SO MUCH MORE than any other test can tell you, BUT, some of us just want the PH. Of course I am just speaking for myself. And, maybe the internet is wrong about those meters.
Terrific advice about PH and it's importance! Dolomite lime can throw off the calcium magnesium ratio though. Regular agricultural lime is a better choice. I'll be adding that elemental sulphur to my clay soil soon though.
We see wilt here mostly in hybrid tomatoes. I've been raising vegetables for decades and it is worse every year. No matter whether the temps are high, moisture at wrong level, etc. I believe the newer varieties are not very nematode resistant either.
That's terrible to hear Terry. I'm definitely seeing less and less vigor with the hybrids. I've moved exclusively to heirlooms for as many of my vegetables as possible. I'm not seeing the downright wilt though. Are you seeing with container crops as well? If so, are the source soils the same (ie. using the same compost base)?
First time tomato grower, help :( I just potted my tomato transplants into pots, some are turning yellow leaves, one dropped all the leaves. Checked the PH and it was 7.5. Do I take them completely out of their pots, add elemental sulfur, and then plant them again? Or do I add the elemental sulfur while they are still in their pots? I had no idea growing anything was this complicated. Feeling very discouraged :(
Sorry to hear that! 7.5 isn't all that bad... It's more of how big the jump was it from where they started.... For sulphur, it can be mixed into the surface soil... Just go very easy on it... You don't need much to drop the pH and you don't want to further stress the plants.
I am having trouble finding the elemental sulphur, do you think Earth Science Fast Acting Sulfur is fine? Thank you for your time, much appreciated as I am lost
@@princessmari5063 amazon carries it. Nurseries and garden centers can get it as well. But maybe a better solution would be rhododendron food. They like it slightly acidic and the food itself drops the pH in a very controlled way. Might be better.
I appreciate what you share. I'm trying to learn everything I can to have a good garden. Thank you for speaking slowly, clearly, and loudly enough as well.
They do.. Sort of. Each vegetable has a specific range in which they grow best.... Optimal if you will... And that range overlaps with most other vegetables. So it's not usually an issue. When in doubt, look up the specific veggies you're working with to find out.
Mine measures fertility, ph, and moisture. Fertility reading is ideal, moisture reading is ideal, but ph reading says it's too akaline. I'm not sure how basic alkaline soil can have good fertility?? Is my meter crazy or am I?
Have you done a soil test from a county agricultural extension office or university lab to compare the results to the home test meter? I have a tester but im not sure i trust it and was wondering if i should get it tested
Hey Danny....yeah for pH I have had the soil tested as I had access to a chem lab. pH was fairly accurate. I haven't had the soil tested in about 4 years for a complete analysis though. Cheers.
Thanks for the answer mine seams to give the same reading even months after adding soil acidifier so i was thinking it wasn’t workingand should just get a certified lab test
my ph meter was reading between 7 and 8, I am worried since I had BER last year, and I did add bone meal when I planted and Earthworm castings. I just remembered I bought Epsoma soil acidifier which is the sulphur and added about half a cup to 3/4 of a cup to my 5 gallon containers and a little over a cup to my 7 and 10 gallon containers. I hope I didnt over do it.
BER is usually attributed to a calcium deficiency, but can also be caused by improper watering. The answer is to keep the soil slightly damp not soaking wet. I tend to overwater myself.
@@TheRipeTomatoFarms all my plants are in containers so this is very helpful especially overwatering, PH levels at 7.1so jabe to find way to bring down with sulphur, bummer as I jist added calcium last week as I feared blossom rot
@@danopine I hear ya man, it's a constant struggle... One thing you do has a chain reaction of effects! The biggest thing with blossom end rot is that I've found its not usually from insufficient calcium in the soil... It's usually from inadequate watering and/or root systems to uptake the necessary amount of water and calcium to sustain those cell walls... So adding calcium isn't always my go to answer
@@TheRipeTomatoFarms appreciate the reply, I'm definitely learning, your video's have been very helpful as has the FB group, This meter is going to help especially with watering as I fear I've been overwatering especially in the heat we've been in having early summer. It's still early in the season and I'm hoping for the best.
@@danopine You're so right man. In the 3 years since I've been using these meters, I have found the water reading to be the most helpful part! But yeah, its been crazy weather all around...gardener friends from around the world bracing for another wild and wacky one.
I truly don't understand the meter. My needle goes all the way to the right. What should I put in my soil? Is it too alkaline or acidic? Thanks for your patience, I'm an old gardener, lol!
Hi Patty, if your meter goes all the way to the right, likely it is too acidic and it needs the pH raised. Dolomite is probably the best application to use.
When taking a pH reading with these meters, ensure the soil is wet. It's the way the probe works.
Yup, correct. The soil must be moist for the conductivity to work.
So moisture affects ph reading ? In which direction? ie: more moisture increases or decreases ph reading ?
pH...its often overlooked! If you're experience poor crops and smaller than your expect production, make sure to check your soil's pH!
The instructions say to leave the probes in the ground for 10 minutes and then you get a reading.
My beefsteak tomatoes ended up being cherry tomatoes this year. Got my bags of compost mixed up and used some that hadn't been aged. It had chicken manure in it, so it was really hot. Didn't realize, what I'd done wrong, until I put a meter, just as he suggests into my soil, and I got readings between 5 & 5.5! No wonder some of my plants died, and the rest were sickly!
I'd been spoiled in previous years, as I had access to old hardwood forest soil, so I didn't routinely check my soil ph, and my brother sold his place with the hardwood forest, so I amended my soil more so than usual, and I didn't notice, since I hurried too much, that I was putting compost with fresh manure in it, onto my garden. Once I found my error, I dressed it with dolomite lime, but my season's almost over. My cousin used to say, "The lime let's the fertilizer work. Perhaps an oversimplification, that may not apply everywhere, but down here in the Deep South, we're often in pine forests or former pine forests, so the soil is pretty acidic anyway. C'est la vie. ...Wait'll next year!
As long as the lesson is learned, it's a good lesson! Every year, some failed crop teaches me SOMETHING! Best of luck Sparky!
@@TheRipeTomatoFarms Hello, I have a question, If my soil in my blueberry pots is 5 PH and I only water with rainwater which is also 5 PH, will the soil remain 5 PH over the years?
Great video, I had high PH OF 7.1 most everthing was growing slow , And i Tryed EB Stone Sul Po Mag than everything took off .
Beauty! I think most plants in most situations can deal with slightly acidic conditions... But alkaline soils are a different story. So many nutrients and compounds get locked up and bound to the soil at higher pH's. Right on man.
Its funny, because I hear a lot of people saying to add coffee grounds to acidify your alkaline soils. I always thought so as well. So I researched it a little bit. Turns out that used coffee grounds are actually pH neutral. So while beneficial for the garden, don't expect coffee grounds to help with any high pH issues!
You can use it straight out of the container, fresh, unbrewed. Fresh coffee grounds are more acid than brewed ones. You can also water with diluted brewed coffee, which is good in different ways.
I bought a bunch of live and bare root plants. 3-4 weeks in my strawberries were dying one by one. Only a few plants left and i just bought a ph tester. ph was 5.5.
Yeah, might be a bit too acidic for strawberries
pH Meters on Amazon (Afiliate links):
Soil pH Meter (US) amzn.to/34zHF3q
Soil pH Meter (Canada) amzn.to/2O5XuaN
Fantastic video, thanks for this information! I never heard of any of this and I've been gardening for years.
Awesome! Thanks so much for watching! :-)
Thank you . I needed to hear and see this. You explain the ph factor in simple terms. Otherwise I would be like, whaaaat? Lol. Thanks from Chicago.
Cheers Reginald, more than glad to help! :-)
I have changed soils a couple of times and even locations on the property, to help prevent contamination. I went strictly to container gardening this year, but as I asked around, others are also having issues. I think that heirloom plants are going to be the plant of choice. I know the Ag Colleges have worked on this problem, but so far there seems to be no magic bullet. Thanks for your site!
Dang, that does sound more serious than simply a bad batch of soil. I wonder if the local extension has any answers....and what are local professional growers doing?
Great as always! Why hasn't your channel blown up? You should contact Two Family Homestead and get on a Monday night show.
Thanks for the support as always buddy! My hope with my videos is that they have staying power as a ranked and searchable topic. Its why I don't really do "farm update" or "hey check this out" vlog style vids. I know those get tons of views, but they don't really HELP people to garden. I want someone 10 years from now, wondering why their kale has yellow veins and going "I wonder if I have a pH problem?"! I'll keep plugging away, and if I can help one person with their garden per day, plus learn new stuff myself in the process, it will all be worth it! :-)
I am a retired organic chemist and, I can vouch for everything you said being 100% correct. Also the dolomite provides magnesium which is an important micronutrient.
if fruits & vegetables are suppose to be alkaline why are the ph levels acidic every where i look, is it possible to feed plants alkaline water?
I'm trying to lower my alkalinity in my soil.
At the same time trying to fix ph in my swimming pool..I used well water .. the water affects my soil doesn't it... this is so confusing to me
Great presentation buddy. Really informative. Much appreciated.
Hey, thanks so much for watching! Happy growing!
I had same ph meter like yours, its seem this ph meter didnt read so well, because i tried it on water liquid and vinegar liquid, the result on vinegar still 7 thats what makes me think this ph meter broke, but if i change it on moisture mode it read 4, so i think moisture mode is the right ph meter
That is strange. Good call. Do you still have it and use it?
@@TheRipeTomatoFarms yes i still have it and still use it for ph only, but i try to compare it with another ph meter, i'll give u my result after that comparison,
But this is my opinion sir, hope get the best result
@@galangsatria2196 that's great Galang, thanks so much for sharing! All the best this season!
Same problem!
Lovely video very well presented - you have a good voice for this!!
Thanks so much Jennifer! Appreciate that. :-)
Lmao 🤣 sorry the probes having covers got me
Got me laughing
LOL...ROOKIE move! Ha ha!
I was saying you leaving the two probes on got me laughing....rookie....but you do know more about plants than me ...
My, how you've progressed since this early video. Informative as always.
Thanks! It was definitely a learning curve early on!
shucks I should have looked at your site first. I bought one just for soil moisture, Now I have to get this for the PH..lol I bought the other one before I found you and your wonderful channel. Now you are my go to for everything.
Ha ha at least you'll have a backup Sheri! :)
no fucking idea about the ph thanks
Clemson has some chemical additives, but this just appeared about ten years ago. I switched to other soils, too. I will keep at it, though.
It's so tough when what we're provided with and what's available to us isn't the best solution... Not an ideal situation. We got this though!
I've heard that those meters are not very reliable. I almost bought one today for about $16, but, I looked up on my phone about them, and read that they are not reliable.
I almost bought one of the test kits too, with the capsules that you put with soil in the little test tubes, they were about $6, but, I also saw that you can test the PH of your soil using vinegar and baking soda. Also some distilled water for neutral ph, and it's free as long as you have vinegar, baking soda and distilled water, and I have all 3 on hand.
Maybe some people are good using those meters, but, I don't trust them.
It's BEST to send your soil to be tested by the pro's, they'll tell you SO MUCH MORE than any other test can tell you, BUT, some of us just want the PH.
Of course I am just speaking for myself. And, maybe the internet is wrong about those meters.
Terrific advice about PH and it's importance! Dolomite lime can throw off the calcium magnesium ratio though. Regular agricultural lime is a better choice. I'll be adding that elemental sulphur to my clay soil soon though.
So true Foggy Patch, thanks for the tip! I've been using one infused with Magnesium....but again, only sparingly. Cheers!
It says you are supposed to push into soil 2-4”
Here in the South, wilt is a huge issue and very difficult to control. Any suggestions?
Wilt from what though Terry? Over watering? Drought? Heat? Loss of turgidity?
Great video, very informative! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for watching!
We see wilt here mostly in hybrid tomatoes. I've been raising vegetables for decades and it is worse every year. No matter whether the temps are high, moisture at wrong level, etc. I believe the newer varieties are not very nematode resistant either.
That's terrible to hear Terry. I'm definitely seeing less and less vigor with the hybrids. I've moved exclusively to heirlooms for as many of my vegetables as possible. I'm not seeing the downright wilt though. Are you seeing with container crops as well? If so, are the source soils the same (ie. using the same compost base)?
Both mine read 7 i think theyre faulty
I bet that ph tester reads ph 7 at all times lol
Best video. Thanks so much for the information 🌸
Cheers!
First time tomato grower, help :(
I just potted my tomato transplants into pots, some are turning yellow leaves, one dropped all the leaves. Checked the PH and it was 7.5. Do I take them completely out of their pots, add elemental sulfur, and then plant them again? Or do I add the elemental sulfur while they are still in their pots? I had no idea growing anything was this complicated. Feeling very discouraged :(
I literally just plated them in their pots a few days ago
Sorry to hear that! 7.5 isn't all that bad... It's more of how big the jump was it from where they started.... For sulphur, it can be mixed into the surface soil... Just go very easy on it... You don't need much to drop the pH and you don't want to further stress the plants.
The Ripe Tomato Farms thank you so much❤️ I have a new found appreciation for gardeners and farmers.
I am having trouble finding the elemental sulphur, do you think Earth Science Fast Acting Sulfur is fine? Thank you for your time, much appreciated as I am lost
@@princessmari5063 amazon carries it. Nurseries and garden centers can get it as well. But maybe a better solution would be rhododendron food. They like it slightly acidic and the food itself drops the pH in a very controlled way. Might be better.
I appreciate what you share. I'm trying to learn everything I can to have a good garden. Thank you for speaking slowly, clearly, and loudly enough as well.
Do different Vegetables require to have different pH in their beds?
They do.. Sort of. Each vegetable has a specific range in which they grow best.... Optimal if you will... And that range overlaps with most other vegetables. So it's not usually an issue. When in doubt, look up the specific veggies you're working with to find out.
So if it says moist u dont water it
Great job....thank you......ok heading out to check my PH
That point about cleaning the probes! Thank you!
Thorough video. Thank you!
Cheers!
Those cheap meters are typically off a little, my pH meter said 7, but when I took a sample of my soil to be tested, the pH was actually 6.8
For the price, I'd take that level of accuracy!
Super video!!!! Very understandablele
Hey thanks, appreciate the kind words and support. :-)
Thanks , from New Zealand
Cheers clark, thanks for watching!
🌱Great video! Thank You for sharing!
Thanks Jamie! Thanks for watching and for the support!
Do u always push it all the way down? Like what if it is a new plant? The roots are not that long
Mine measures fertility, ph, and moisture. Fertility reading is ideal, moisture reading is ideal, but ph reading says it's too akaline. I'm not sure how basic alkaline soil can have good fertility?? Is my meter crazy or am I?
Fertilizer adds salts which build up over time and adds alkalinity. It may be fertile but your plant can't uptake nutrients.
Have you done a soil test from a county agricultural extension office or university lab to compare the results to the home test meter? I have a tester but im not sure i trust it and was wondering if i should get it tested
Hey Danny....yeah for pH I have had the soil tested as I had access to a chem lab. pH was fairly accurate. I haven't had the soil tested in about 4 years for a complete analysis though. Cheers.
Thanks for the answer mine seams to give the same reading even months after adding soil acidifier so i was thinking it wasn’t workingand should just get a certified lab test
send 1 soil sample to every lab in the country, looking for barium and strontium. watch some labs lie and some tell the truth.
my ph meter was reading between 7 and 8, I am worried since I had BER last year, and I did add bone meal when I planted and Earthworm castings. I just remembered I bought Epsoma soil acidifier which is the sulphur and added about half a cup to 3/4 of a cup to my 5 gallon containers and a little over a cup to my 7 and 10 gallon containers. I hope I didnt over do it.
BER is usually attributed to a calcium deficiency, but can also be caused by improper watering. The answer is to keep the soil slightly damp not soaking wet. I tend to overwater myself.
What if you have a ph of 7 in your soil? How will they grow?
pH of 7 is awesome....that's neutral and most plants can thrive at that level.
@@TheRipeTomatoFarms highly appreciate the response. One more thing, will rain have any effect on the ph in the soil when it pours ?
Great stuff. Thanks so much.
Cheers Winston, thanks for watching!
Perfect info, just what I needed.
Great info, thanks. Go Riders!
If the ph is good does that mean it dont need fertilizer
I just bought this meter. Instructions say probe should be 2-4 inches into soil, noticed you placed it much deeper
Hi Daniel, I just found I was getting more stable, accurate readings further down.
@@TheRipeTomatoFarms all my plants are in containers so this is very helpful especially overwatering, PH levels at 7.1so jabe to find way to bring down with sulphur, bummer as I jist added calcium last week as I feared blossom rot
@@danopine I hear ya man, it's a constant struggle... One thing you do has a chain reaction of effects! The biggest thing with blossom end rot is that I've found its not usually from insufficient calcium in the soil... It's usually from inadequate watering and/or root systems to uptake the necessary amount of water and calcium to sustain those cell walls... So adding calcium isn't always my go to answer
@@TheRipeTomatoFarms appreciate the reply, I'm definitely learning, your video's have been very helpful as has the FB group, This meter is going to help especially with watering as I fear I've been overwatering especially in the heat we've been in having early summer. It's still early in the season and I'm hoping for the best.
@@danopine You're so right man. In the 3 years since I've been using these meters, I have found the water reading to be the most helpful part! But yeah, its been crazy weather all around...gardener friends from around the world bracing for another wild and wacky one.
Good job
I truly don't understand the meter. My needle goes all the way to the right. What should I put in my soil? Is it too alkaline or acidic? Thanks for your patience, I'm an old gardener, lol!
Hi Patty, if your meter goes all the way to the right, likely it is too acidic and it needs the pH raised. Dolomite is probably the best application to use.