How to Determine the pH of Garden Soil

Select an area in your garden to test. If your garden is large then choose to test in multiple areas about 10 feet apart. Dig a hole in each area you select with a shovel until the hole is 16 inches deep and 12 inches wide, removing the loosened soil as you go.

Hold your cup upright in one hand and press it to the inside wall of the hole. Scrape over the wall with the tip of your hand trowel to drop a sample of soil into the container until you have about 2 tbsp. of dirt collected. Gather 2 tbsp. of soil from each hole into the cup.

Mix the soil in your cup using a plastic spoon and break up any clumps where possible to get an even mixture of multiple samples.

Test the soil sample using a pH testing kit following the directions on the packaging. Some kits include a probe that you push into the soil directly to give a reading on a meter, while others require putting a sample in distilled water and adding test drops to compare to a color chart.

Read the results of your kit either on the meter or color chart to determine if your pH is neutral at 7.0, acidic at lower than 7.0 or alkaline at higher than 7.0. Make adjustments to suit your plants' needs to raise or lower the soil as needed to prepare your garden for planting.