The most important part of gardening is often overlooked, and that is soil health. One gardening expert shared an at-home soil test you can do to learn about the pH of your yard.
The scoop
LondonsPriorities (@gardeningsimplified) shares their gardening know-how with three-quarters of a million people on TikTok. In one clip, they went through the easy way to test the pH of your soil using simple ingredients you probably have on hand.
@gardeningsimplified How to test your soils PH balance at home for free. #gardening #soilph #soilhealth #soil #gardeningsoil #gardeningtips #gardeningtipsforbeginners #gardeningtipsandtricks #gardeninghacks #gardening101 ♬ original sound - LondonsPriorities
To test your soil, you will need two small containers to put your soil in. Start by scooping one spoonful into your container. You will need to use equal quantities of each ingredient, so if you want to use a measuring spoon, it may help with accuracy.
Once you have soil in each container, mix in equal parts water — you want to have a muddy consistency. The reason that you have two containers is to test if your soil is more acidic or more basic.
To test for acidity, mix a spoonful of baking soda into your soil; if you see bubbles, that is the acid in your soil reacting with the baking soda. It's kind of like that volcano experiment many people did in elementary school.
It's a similar test to see if your soil is basic, but this time, you will mix in white vinegar. If your soil reacts, creating bubbles, you have acidic dirt on your hands. Once you have a good picture of your soil pH, you can start adding ingredients to repair your soil health.
How it's working
Tips like this can help you improve the health of your soil, and with healthier soil, you will have healthier yields. Growing food at home can be a great way to save money while getting out into nature more regularly.
Folks who have the space can save around $600 a season with a $70 investment. Using tips like this to help increase your yield can make these savings even higher. You can propagate certain plants, such as tomatoes, for more chances to harvest.
Growing food in your back or front yard is an eco-friendly choice; it can reduce your pollution footprint and lower your reliance on mass-produced food.
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Not even close 🧑🌾 What people are saying
Commenters on the page were happy to learn about these easy ways to test their soil.
One person said: "Are you freaking kidding me? This is what they should be teaching in school."
"I love your videos and want to focus on soil health," another wrote.
Someone else added: "I learn so much from you!"
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