Ph Meter, purchase

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From the Q and A.
Grainger.com. Is the place to go for Ph meters. Ryan suggest purchasing in the $100-150. Range.
https://m.grainger.com/category/ph-meters/water-testing-equipment-and-meters/lab-supplies/ecatalog/N-kvq?okey=ph+meter&mkey=pH+Meters+&refineSearchString=ph+meter&NLSCM=5&EndecaKeyword=ph+meter&searchBar=true&searchRedirect=ph+meter&sst=subset&nls_boost_words=noContent

Hope that helps

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I have lots of experience with digital PH meters. They work well, but have to be calibrated in PH range solution every use to be accurate and they do stop working eventually. After years of using PH meters daily, I digressed to where I started and use the simple shake test kit you get in the indoor garden store. They are surprisingly accurate. I use to do side by side comparison with my digital and it was always accurate.
Only $10 for a shaker kit and a fraction of the headache. :joy::joy:
But this has just been my experience, everyone has their preferences.

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The ā€œessentialsā€brand PH meter is very accurate and should last a year before requiring replacement. Itā€™s a digital Ph meter that wonā€™t require calibration every use. Every three months with daily use should be more than enough.

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There are two types of pH meters . One for Water. Two for soil . Just because you water with a pH of 6.7 does not change the fact that the soil youā€™ve selected might read very acidic or alikine .

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Just FYIā€¦
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pH of soil is not complicated, however must be done as a standard procedure to be consistant and accurateā€¦
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  • The pH meter / probe is calibrated using pH 7 buffer solution, pH 4 and 9 are used to check accuracy.
  • 20 g of soil is weighed and transferred into a clean 100 mL beaker.
  • 40 mL DISTILLED water is added and stirred well with a glass rod.
  • This was allowed to stand for half an hour with intermittent stirring.
  • To the soil water suspension in the beaker, the electrode is immersed and pH value determined from the display of the pH meter.
    .
    Cheep meters may only be accurate to 0.5+/-.
    The pH of water should be done at room temp. Cold or hot will skew the number. A lotā€¦
    Hope this helps.
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Thank you for your input.
Just a question, do you have experience with pH meeter where you insert like a big needle on soil? I feel could work with compact soil but not with akadama and pomice, that they are loose grains.
I ask because pH itā€™s really important topic.

Thank you in advance

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I wouldnā€™t get TOO excited about pH of soil in the pot. Unless you use a radical odd soil or fertilizerā€¦
AND, unless you have a radical pH in your drinking system, I wouldnā€™t get worried about that either. City water systems are regulated. Iā€™ve been happily uninformed for 40 years. Trees were OK.
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The use of akadama/pumice/lava and organic fertilzer with the active microbiomā€¦ changes how closely I need to watch the tree/soil. Now Iā€™m watching the pHā€¦
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FYIā€¦pH measures the acid/base equilibrium concentration in WATER.
When the water is in contact with soil / fertilizer / ceramic, etc it picks up chemicals that alter the pH.
The needle type ā€˜probeā€™ into the soil would ONLY measure the relative pH at that moment. Dry, no measure or skewed. Saturated after watering, measures only the water pH.
It might be usefull if you measure at the same level of moisture every time. Give a usefull numberā€¦
Also, the temperature needs to be about the same every time. (The good pH probes/ programs will temperature adjust the readingā€¦)
I would NOT put much faith into a metal needle probe measure. It would pick up radical swings, which is why we monitor pH.
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Iā€™m a chemist. Iā€™ve been amused to no end by the problems Iā€™ve heard. HOWEVERā€¦ I just picked up a pH probe. Calibratable with the pH 4,7,10, and probe storage solution(KCl in water!) A good probe must be stored wetā€¦
However, itā€™s fall here. 27F last night. Will not water(much) or fertilize again this year. Will measure anyway, just for the numbers baseline.
Thatā€™s another thoughtā€¦ Get a notebook, and keep log! Especially when the fertilizer is applied and other things you do to the trees. Repots, soil refresh. Take a pH regularly of the water used.
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It was a great summer. My only issue is a hinoki that I refreshed the shin ( underside) soil. Looks to be dyingā€¦

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