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livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] pH Testing

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  • From: "John D'hondt" <dhondt@eircom.net>
  • To: "Healthy soil and sustainable growing" <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] pH Testing
  • Date: Thu, 21 Oct 2010 23:24:33 +0100


Sorry to say it is not all simple Phil. Minerals disolved in water may not affect pH of that water a lot but they may "buffer" what you want to test. Rainwater is in principle more to be trusted than "city" water I'm sure. pH 6 does not look that far of the mark for rainwater. Even distilled water will most likely show slight acidity when CO2 disolves in it and becomes H2CO3. Often distilled water tests around 6.3-6.5.
Soil has a much higher buffer capacity than any water so I would not worry too much.
What I would do in your case is to boil a pot of rainwater briefly and after cooling use that for your test. Should be not far off the mark.
john

I need to do some pH testing but it is really hard to get distilled water here. I have tested various water sources which vary from 7.5 for "city" water to 6.0 for rain water collected from the roof. Is there a way of calculating the correct pH value if the water used for the soil test is not 7.0?

Thnaks,
Phil Bunch
Piedras Blancas
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