Household Method to Test Lawn Soil pH

Some grasses prefer acidic soil, while others prefer alkaline soil.

Different grass seeds require different types of soil. In fact, a grass seed that thrives in acidic soil will perish in alkaline soil and vice versa. Acidity and alkalinity of soil is measured in pH (potential of Hydrogen), which ranges from 0.0 to 14.0. A neutral soil pH is 7.0 and anything above 7.0 is considered alkaline, and anything below, acidic. You can get an idea of what type of lawn soil you have by performing your own soil test, using a simple household method.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Garden soil
• Tablespoon
• Bowls
• Water
• Glass jars
• Baking soda
• Second jar
• Distilled white vinegar
• Agricultural lime or peat moss

1. Head outside and dig up 2 tbsp. of soil from the surface of your lawn. Place the soil in a small bowl. Dig down 3 inches and remove 2 tbsp. of soil from that depth. Add the second soil sample to the bowl.

2. Mix both soil samples to combine them and mix in 1 tbsp. of water. Scoop up 2 tbsp. of the combined soil and place it in a glass jar.

3. Pour 2 tbsp. of water in a second bowl and mix in a tablespoon of baking soda. Pour the baking soda solution into the jar that contains the soil sample.

4. Watch for the results. If the soil fizzes when you add the baking soda, your soil is acidic. An extreme amount of fizzing or bubbling denotes soil that has highly acidic properties. No bubbling may mean that you have alkaline soil, which will require further testing.

5. Scoop the remaining soil, from the bowl containing the original soil sample, into a second jar. Pour 1 tbsp. of distilled white vinegar into the jar. If the soil begins to fizz, then you have alkaline soil in your garden. Extreme bubbling or fizzing means that your soil is highly alkaline.

Tips & Warnings

• If you want to make your soil more alkaline, add agricultural lime according to label instructions.

• If you want to make your soil more acidic, add peat moss according to label instructions.

• Do not pour the vinegar and the baking soda in the same jar. An accurate test requires two separate jars.

References

• United States Environmental Protection Agency: What Is pH?
• Dollar Stretcher: Natural Soil Test

Resources

• West Virginia University Extension: Liming the Lawn