I bought a pH a meter a while back when I was doing hydro and havent really been checking my pH and think it could be a problem. I want to know if and how do I use the pH meter that I have to test the soil's pH. Do I test the run off? Do I take a sample of soil and mix it with water? or is this not possible?
What type of pH meter do you have? Post a link if you can. I'll assume you have a liquid-based meter, since you mentioned it's digital. You cannot directly test the pH of soil with this type of meter. In fact, you could very easily ruin it by placing it in the soil. Once again, this all depends on the meter you have. To get an accurate pH reading, calibrate your meter first per its instructions. Here's a good 3 step process to follow: Measure the liquid going into the plant before you water. Measure the liquid after adding nutrients, if necessary. Water the plant and place a bag or some sort of container underneath the pot to collect the runoff. Make sure you use enough water to collect a good sample of runoff... say 8 oz or so. Measure that pH. Do not mix a soil sample with water. Your pH diode is not designed for contact with solids.