How to Test Soil Salinity Instantly
Soil salinity is the measure of sodium found in soils. In rich, loamy soil with good drainage, soil salinity may be very low. But in soils found near the ocean, areas of poor drainage or sandy soils where water drains very quickly and leaves mineral deposits behind, the soil may be very saline. Plants do not grow well in saline soil. Although many soil laboratories can test your soil's salinity level, these tests may take up to three weeks to produce results. You can test your soil's salinity instantly by using a salinity meter. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Dig a soil sample from six locations across your field. Mix the samples in a bucket and spread them across a newspaper to air dry.
-
2
Pick out any large debris such as grass, roots, sticks or rocks. Break up any large clods of soil.
-
-
3
Fill a clean glass jar with 1 part soil and 5 parts distilled water. Place the lid on the jar and shake for three minutes to thoroughly dissolve any sodium from the soil in the water.
-
4
Place the jar aside for one minute and allow the solution to settle.
-
5
Turn on the salinity meter and place the probe into the water. Do not let the probe touch the soil at the bottom of the container. The meter displays the salinity of the soil in the digital readout.
-
1
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Michael Hitoshi/Photodisc/Getty Images
