pHish test

I'm finally on-site at the garden-to-be. My dad was very prepared for me. He had a sample of the front lawn soil ready in a jug of water, along with the pH testing kit waiting for me when I got here last night. I hope it really doesn't matter that the pH testing kit is actually for aquariums . . .



I tested the pH of the soil-water and it is definitely around 7.2, which means that it's slightly basic or alkaline (I recall now that my dad drained our old swimming pool into the front lawn almost a decade ago . . . hm, I wonder if chlorine/pool water is alkaline). In any case, I think this 7.2 reading may be a slight issue. From my reading of mostly wikipedia and a few other blogs, most plants prefer a slightly acidic soil. The good news is that my parents have almost 8 years worth of composting in the backyard, which I will mix into the soil, increasing the level of acidity. Right now the test result is rather turquoise; I need to get it to move more towards the green level.


I also found out that if you're working on a fair bit of ground, most garden centres or nurseries deliver truck loads of soil to you. I also found this really useful plant finder. I'm going to be using it to find some nice plants for the dad-garden.