I just bought this very kit and went to UA-cam to see what others thought. Your video was direct, clear, and comprehensive. And you have the most soothing voice on UA-cam. I wish I could hit the subscribe button twice. I just found my new gardening channel!
Thanks for the info. I have been putting this off for about four years also. Just would not take the time to read the instructions. But you did that for me. Thanks again.
I bought this yesterday and I’ve been staring at it in fear and horrified that this was going to be something that was going to be hard to do thank you so much for uploading this video even though my plant isn’t on the list I’ll just have to Google it I’m just really grateful that I’m not intimidated by this test once again I truly appreciate you explaining how to do it
Nice kit Nell enjoyed spending sometime with you this morning your garden will be growing great because of your attention to its needs much love and respect
We are literally about to order about 5 of these for the shop and you nailed the exact review I needed to know for our company. Thank you so much for this!
Nice video...I am about to test now, so I watched this for a refresher. I let my water/soil solution settle for approx. 36 hours. I will check out your channel this evening, but for now I will subscribe to support you. Keep up the great work young lady!!!
Thanks for subscribing and I'm glad you liked the video. Letting the solution sit for that amount of time seems like a good idea. I plan to break the kit out again to test it against some other tools. Stay tuned!
You have such a calming voice! Thanks for this video, I'm in a Master Gardener program and for homework we have to test our soil. They gave us the same kit you used, and I was a little intimidated so I came looking for a video. One thing - the instructions say to also fill the reference chamber in each clear plastic box (that's the wide chamber). We're supposed to just put the solution water in, no soil or testing powder. The directions say "Using the dropper provided, fill the test and reference chambers to the fill mark on the chart with solution from your soil sample. Solution is added to the reference chamber to compensate for any discoloration in the tested sample caused by the soil. Avoid disturbing the sediment. Transfer only liquid." And then it says, after you shake it up, let it sit for *only* 10 minutes. Apparently this is not an overnight thing, so don't go anywhere for the next ten minutes!
Thanks for watching and commenting. I wish I had the original directions that came with my kit to cross reference what you're saying . I honestly don't remember seeing those instructions about the wide chamber. I've considered taking a Master Gardener program in my era, but need to do more shedule juggling. Congrats on that smart move!
hi! a new friend from Viet Nam! your sharing is so useful for us! I love your voice. I not only learn English from your video, but also learn your ễprience♥️ hope to be friend with you😍😍🥰💞💖
Hi. Does the instruction tells you what it meant by surplus, sufficient, adequate, deficient and depleted? Does it also shared tips on how to increase them should it be deficient and depleted? Thanks
I'm not sure if you have a co-op near you, but a soil test is $12 in my area and once you get the results, it tells you exactly what and how much fertilizer (macro and micro nutrients) to put into the soil. Also, co-ops will generally know the soil type and also helpful tips in lawns and garden. Certainly not saying this is wrong. It is great! Just wanted to share my experience with our local co-op! Hope you have great success!
I appreciate your video. I would suggest, regarding acidifying your soil, that you use Sulphur (dust or chips) rather than peat moss, primarily because peatlands are a large storer of carbon, but also provide a rare habitat for wildlife, and its usefulness in preventing flooding and filtering water. The RHS website has a good article on 'Acidifying soil'.
Nice video. I had an NPK test kit years ago, it was good. It told us how much each of the elements we needed to add. I would like to now about adding the elements, which ones to use & how much. Did you make a video about that?
I got those caps apart by gently twisting and pulling apart. I could have snipped the very tip of the cap off as to not get chemicals everywhere. I take results from these tests with a grain of salt or two. I noticed or it looked like both sides weren't filled.
Hi there. Don't be dissapointed about the soil being deficient. Most native soils are deficient in nutrients. Also, it depends when you do the test and what plants grow nearby. For instance, in a forest, somewhere end of the summer, the soil is deficient because the trees use the nutrients to push out a lot of growth. However, in the autumn, when leaves drop and start to decompose, they return the nutrients back into the soil, so by spring, the soil should be okay-ish once again. Cheers!
Thanks for the encouragement! I never considered those factors when testing the soil. Also, I have to remember that even though it's deficient, it is good enough to grow certain plants as is such as lantana. That stuff literally takes over every year. Thanks so much for watching 🙂.
@@HomeCentsWithNell Yes, some plants will still do just fine, but those are usually the ones which don't need a lot of feeding. I grow peppermint and I don't feed for over a year and it's growing slowly but it's still growing. I also tried to feed it and it definitely grew faster and bigger. But since I don't use a lot of mint, I don't feed it and it's still enough for me. All the other plants/trees I have, they will stop growing or they grow slow and show signs of nutrient deficiency. Then, there are also some plants which can take some nitrogen from the air, for example.
Nice video , at minimum you will need to amend your soil and feed your plants adequately . Here is a few basic tips (1) Amend and mulch the the area + add lots of organic matter to help feed and loosen up that soil . (2) Feed the plant with Liquid Fish Fertilizer , Ammonium Sulfate , at least every month and please some add elemental sulfur at least twice per year to the soil. (3) Water the plants at least 3 times per week depending on how hot your area is .
Thank you for those great tips. I think fish fertilizer is one of the best products to add to your garden. I do that regularly, though my family doesn't like the smell..lol . Thanks for watching and commenting.
For the Phosphorous test , you are supposed to put the blue sediments back into the solution (shake it). (The blue one) For the Potassium, you don't want to shake them tho. My Nitrogen test came out really weird... it's like green/yellow and coagulated. Not sure what's going on there....
Nice video. You do have a great voice, and inspired me to take the tests. I would really encourage you to research pest a bit more. It is a traditional soil amendment but our use of it is destroying the peat bogs of the world. It takes many decades to regenerate a peat bog. There are also very good alternatives. I recommend rice hulls. These are a waste product of rice production and traditionally are burned leading to all sorts of other environmental problems. As a soil amendment, they provide the same benefits of peat plus more without the negative environmental impacts. You might also consider starting plants from seeds. It’s easier to buy the plant, and has an appearance of success, but is significantly more expensive - especially if the plant doesn’t produce fruit. Our experience is that some seeds will fail, but that’s not really that bad. You can have a lotta lotta seed failure for the $ of one plant.
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. I agree with your position on peat moss. Over the last year, I've become more knowledgeable about how it's sourced and am currently transitioning over to using coco coir instead. I have not heard of rice hulls as a growing medium, but will research that as well. In my garden, I lant seeds as well as purchase transplants. It's what works for me. Thanks for watching!
Hello. There is an Amazon link in the description box, right below the video. I have also seen this product at Home Depot and Lowes. I hope that helps. Thanks for watching.
I'm sorry about that. I don't know the answer to that question, but if I were in your situation, I'd exchange it if possible. Thanks so much for watching.
No, because my sprinklers broke and I didn't know it.🙄 Everything I had planted on the hill suffered, but the established plants made it. I'm not giving up, though. Thanks for watching!
Tap water is VERY UNLIKELY to be neutral. You'd also need to check th epH of the tap water alone to see how acidic or basic it is and offset for the level of your soil. Also, most city's overdo the chlorine content, it's useful to leave your tap water in a bucket and let the chlorine evaporate off.
You're right about the tap water. It isn't quite neutral here and I hadn't thought about how its ph would effect the test results.! I'd like to have a water barrel to allow to chlorine to off gas before watering the beds. I'm working on it. Thanks for watching!
Absolutely right about chlorine in tap water and affecting pH. Nell, it’s also great that you are thinking about rainwater harvesting. In the meantime, realize that chlorine offgasses rather quickly so you just need to plan ahead a little bit. Fill a jug with tap water and let it sit for a few days, or have a series of jugs.
That's a great question, but I don't know the answer. I would think it would be a good idea if you're going to use well water for irrigation. To be sure, try emailing them at info@lusterleaf.com.
Manufacturers Retail Price? It's about $14 at Home Depot. It is also listed on Amazon, and the price fluctuates depending on availability. Thanks for watching.
Blueberries are expensive on their own and we eat a lot of them, so it works out for us. We don't have plans to amend the entire hillside at this time, just specific areas.Thanks for watching.
4 years ago and it's still helping ppl show how to use it.... and making someone like me aware there was even a test for this.
I just bought this very kit and went to UA-cam to see what others thought. Your video was direct, clear, and comprehensive. And you have the most soothing voice on UA-cam. I wish I could hit the subscribe button twice. I just found my new gardening channel!
Thanks for your kind comments and for subscribing. I'm so glad this video was helpful to you!
Wonderful tutorial. I bough test kit and was immediately overwhelmed. I’m prepared now thanks!
I'm glad that the video was helpful! Thanks for watching and commenting.
Thanks for the info. I have been putting this off for about four years also. Just would not take the time to read the instructions. But you did that for me. Thanks again.
I love your voice it’s extremely soothing I feel like just laying down and falling asleep to it lol
Lol - thanks.
I bought this yesterday and I’ve been staring at it in fear and horrified that this was going to be something that was going to be hard to do thank you so much for uploading this video even though my plant isn’t on the list I’ll just have to Google it I’m just really grateful that I’m not intimidated by this test once again I truly appreciate you explaining how to do it
Thanks so much for commenting. Glad that my video was helpful. Go for it!
Thank you for sharing this process! You have a soothing voice. Please make more videos. I’d rather watch your video than read the instructions 😂
Lol. Thanks for those high complements and thanks for watching.
Nice kit Nell enjoyed spending sometime with you this morning your garden will be growing great because of your attention to its needs much love and respect
Thanks. I appreciate that!
I love your voice and way of speaking. Thank you very much for the video
We are literally about to order about 5 of these for the shop and you nailed the exact review I needed to know for our company. Thank you so much for this!
I'm so glad that my video was helpful. Thanks for watching!
Nice video...I am about to test now, so I watched this for a refresher. I let my water/soil solution settle for approx. 36 hours. I will check out your channel this evening, but for now I will subscribe to support you. Keep up the great work young lady!!!
Thanks for subscribing and I'm glad you liked the video. Letting the solution sit for that amount of time seems like a good idea. I plan to break the kit out again to test it against some other tools. Stay tuned!
I just came across your channel and video. Besides being very informative and helpful you have a beautiful voice.
I'm glad that my video was helpful. Thankful you so much for commenting!
This is absolutely helpful! Thanks for sharing 💕💕
Glad it was helpful. Thanks for watching.
NICE VIDEO. i followed it side by side using the test in my house. Now i know my soil for my lemon tree
I admire u what a good video it is wow
Thanks! I'm glad it helped .
Great video, my kit is on the way. Thanks for making!
Awesome! I'm glad my video was helpful.
Thanks for showing this!
I hope it helps. Thanks so much for watching!
Thank you for this video! Testing my soil right now with this kit.
Great! Glad that my video was helpful. Thanks for watching 🙂
Thankyou for showing how to use this test! :)
You have such a calming voice! Thanks for this video, I'm in a Master Gardener program and for homework we have to test our soil. They gave us the same kit you used, and I was a little intimidated so I came looking for a video. One thing - the instructions say to also fill the reference chamber in each clear plastic box (that's the wide chamber). We're supposed to just put the solution water in, no soil or testing powder. The directions say "Using the dropper provided, fill the test and reference chambers to the fill mark on the chart with solution from your soil sample. Solution is added to the reference chamber to compensate for any discoloration in the tested sample caused by the soil. Avoid disturbing the sediment. Transfer only liquid."
And then it says, after you shake it up, let it sit for *only* 10 minutes. Apparently this is not an overnight thing, so don't go anywhere for the next ten minutes!
Thanks for watching and commenting. I wish I had the original directions that came with my kit to cross reference what you're saying . I honestly don't remember seeing those instructions about the wide chamber. I've considered taking a Master Gardener program in my era, but need to do more shedule juggling. Congrats on that smart move!
Such a good video! Thanks!!
Loved this
Glad to hear that. Thanks for watching!
hi! a new friend from Viet Nam! your sharing is so useful for us! I love your voice. I not only learn English from your video, but also learn your ễprience♥️ hope to be friend with you😍😍🥰💞💖
Thanks for watching and your kind comments.
Thank you for the help!
Happy to help! Thanks for stopping by.
Nice Video Thankyou 👍
I'm glad it was helpful. Thanks for watching.
Thank you very helpful info!
I'm glad to hear that. Thanks for watching!
You know you''re succeeding when your video is being recommended by a Master Gardener Course (as is the case now).
.
That's great to hear! I had no idea so thanks for taking the time to comment.
Hi. Does the instruction tells you what it meant by surplus, sufficient, adequate, deficient and depleted? Does it also shared tips on how to increase them should it be deficient and depleted? Thanks
Thx for sharing
I'm not sure if you have a co-op near you, but a soil test is $12 in my area and once you get the results, it tells you exactly what and how much fertilizer (macro and micro nutrients) to put into the soil. Also, co-ops will generally know the soil type and also helpful tips in lawns and garden. Certainly not saying this is wrong. It is great! Just wanted to share my experience with our local co-op! Hope you have great success!
Thanks, I appreciate your input. Happy holidays.
I appreciate your video. I would suggest, regarding acidifying your soil, that you use Sulphur (dust or chips) rather than peat moss, primarily because peatlands are a large storer of carbon, but also provide a rare habitat for wildlife, and its usefulness in preventing flooding and filtering water. The RHS website has a good article on 'Acidifying soil'.
I appreciate your comments, and I will check out that article.
Nice video. I had an NPK test kit years ago, it was good.
It told us how much each of the elements we needed to add.
I would like to now about adding the elements, which ones to use & how much.
Did you make a video about that?
What are the chemical contents of the capsules? Pls reply
I got those caps apart by gently twisting and pulling apart. I could have snipped the very tip of the cap off as to not get chemicals everywhere. I take results from these tests with a grain of salt or two. I noticed or it looked like both sides weren't filled.
I appreciate the tips! Next time I'll just grab a pair of small scissors ✂️. Thanks for watching.
Hi there. Don't be dissapointed about the soil being deficient. Most native soils are deficient in nutrients. Also, it depends when you do the test and what plants grow nearby. For instance, in a forest, somewhere end of the summer, the soil is deficient because the trees use the nutrients to push out a lot of growth. However, in the autumn, when leaves drop and start to decompose, they return the nutrients back into the soil, so by spring, the soil should be okay-ish once again. Cheers!
Thanks for the encouragement! I never considered those factors when testing the soil. Also, I have to remember that even though it's deficient, it is good enough to grow certain plants as is such as lantana. That stuff literally takes over every year.
Thanks so much for watching 🙂.
@@HomeCentsWithNell Yes, some plants will still do just fine, but those are usually the ones which don't need a lot of feeding. I grow peppermint and I don't feed for over a year and it's growing slowly but it's still growing. I also tried to feed it and it definitely grew faster and bigger. But since I don't use a lot of mint, I don't feed it and it's still enough for me. All the other plants/trees I have, they will stop growing or they grow slow and show signs of nutrient deficiency. Then, there are also some plants which can take some nitrogen from the air, for example.
Nice video , at minimum you will need to amend your soil and feed your plants adequately . Here is a few basic tips
(1) Amend and mulch the the area + add lots of organic matter to help feed and loosen up that soil . (2) Feed the plant with Liquid Fish Fertilizer , Ammonium Sulfate , at least every month and please some add elemental sulfur at least twice per year to the soil. (3) Water the plants at least 3 times per week depending on how hot your area is .
Thank you for those great tips. I think fish fertilizer is one of the best products to add to your garden. I do that regularly, though my family doesn't like the smell..lol
. Thanks for watching and commenting.
For the Phosphorous test , you are supposed to put the blue sediments back into the solution (shake it). (The blue one)
For the Potassium, you don't want to shake them tho.
My Nitrogen test came out really weird... it's like green/yellow and coagulated.
Not sure what's going on there....
Nice video. You do have a great voice, and inspired me to take the tests.
I would really encourage you to research pest a bit more. It is a traditional soil amendment but our use of it is destroying the peat bogs of the world. It takes many decades to regenerate a peat bog.
There are also very good alternatives. I recommend rice hulls. These are a waste product of rice production and traditionally are burned leading to all sorts of other environmental problems. As a soil amendment, they provide the same benefits of peat plus more without the negative environmental impacts.
You might also consider starting plants from seeds. It’s easier to buy the plant, and has an appearance of success, but is significantly more expensive - especially if the plant doesn’t produce fruit. Our experience is that some seeds will fail, but that’s not really that bad. You can have a lotta lotta seed failure for the $ of one plant.
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. I agree with your position on peat moss. Over the last year, I've become more knowledgeable about how it's sourced and am currently transitioning over to using coco coir instead. I have not heard of rice hulls as a growing medium, but will research that as well.
In my garden, I lant seeds as well as purchase transplants. It's what works for me. Thanks for watching!
thanks, also i heard old coffee ground can work to improve acidity ;)
Thanks, I have heard that too!
Good
But how will I get it to buy
Hello. There is an Amazon link in the description box, right below the video. I have also seen this product at Home Depot and Lowes. I hope that helps. Thanks for watching.
Is the capsule still usable if it is melted?
When I received the soil test kit the blue capsules are melted. :(
I'm sorry about that. I don't know the answer to that question, but if I were in your situation, I'd exchange it if possible. Thanks so much for watching.
Greetings from Australia. The people wanna know,..... you get those blueberries in the end?
No, because my sprinklers broke and I didn't know it.🙄 Everything I had planted on the hill suffered, but the established plants made it. I'm not giving up, though. Thanks for watching!
Tap water is VERY UNLIKELY to be neutral. You'd also need to check th epH of the tap water alone to see how acidic or basic it is and offset for the level of your soil.
Also, most city's overdo the chlorine content, it's useful to leave your tap water in a bucket and let the chlorine evaporate off.
You're right about the tap water. It isn't quite neutral here and I hadn't thought about how its ph would effect the test results.! I'd like to have a water barrel to allow to chlorine to off gas before watering the beds. I'm working on it. Thanks for watching!
Absolutely right about chlorine in tap water and affecting pH.
Nell, it’s also great that you are thinking about rainwater harvesting. In the meantime, realize that chlorine offgasses rather quickly so you just need to plan ahead a little bit. Fill a jug with tap water and let it sit for a few days, or have a series of jugs.
Good i m imtiaz Ali from pakistan sindh
Can I test it with my tap water even though it's well water?
That's a great question, but I don't know the answer. I would think it would be a good idea if you're going to use well water for irrigation. To be sure, try emailing them at info@lusterleaf.com.
Your well water is likely better than tap water. Depends on whether you add chlorine as a disinfectant. If not, you’re great.
FYI..., tap water is already at 7PH
Soil kit MRP ?
Manufacturers Retail Price? It's about $14 at Home Depot. It is also listed on Amazon, and the price fluctuates depending on availability. Thanks for watching.
@@HomeCentsWithNell How many tests of N/P/K do you get per kit? It looked like there are multiple capsules so multiple tests can be done. Thanks.
@@ttb1513 10
Those are gonna be some very expensive blueberries
Blueberries are expensive on their own and we eat a lot of them, so it works out for us. We don't have plans to amend the entire hillside at this time, just specific areas.Thanks for watching.
I think you spilled too much of the test capsule to get an accurate reading
You might be right! Luckily, the company included plenty of testing capsules just in case. Thanks for watching.
Yo
Very nice tutorial
Big thumbs up
I make gardening videos too. Hope you would like to check out.
Ill be sure to check it out! Thanks for stopping by.
Way too expensive, and you run out of the test capsules rather quickly.
No offense, but that soil looks horrible…..it needs amendments bad.
Soil kit MRP ?