LaMotte Water & Soil pH - Manual (Page 8)

TESTING SOIL
TAKING SOIL SAM PLES
Carefully follow the suggestions below for taking soil samples. Samples
taken from a lawn should be taken from the top 2 or 3 inches of soil.
Samples from gardens or farm crops should be taken from the top 6 to 8
inches of soil. When analyzing a large area of soil, samples taken from
several locations should be mixed together.
1. Use a clean trowel, spoon, or knife to collect the samples.
2. Collect 4 or 5 heaping teaspoons of soil.
3. Place sample in plastic sampling bags.
4. Do not touch soil any more than is necessary.
5. Place collected sample on a piece of paper or plastic for several hours
or overnight to dry.
6. Remove all stones, leaves, roots, and other foreign material.
7. Crush soil so all lumps are smaller than g“ in diameter.
TESTING THE pH OF SOIL
1. Use the 1.0 g spoon (0697) to fill test tube
(0755) to line 2 with sample soil.
2. Fill to line 7 with Tricon Flocculating Reagent
(5941). Cap and shake vigorously for 1 minute.
3. Let tube stand undisturbed for 2 minutes to
allow soil particles to settle.
4. Use the pipet (0364) to transfer the clear
solution above the soil to a second test tube. Fill
to line 2 with the clear solution. (See Figure 6)
NOTE: The re main ing soil in the first
test tube can be dis carded.
5. Add 10 drops of Tricel Indicator (5945) to
second test tube. Cap and mix.
NOTE: Hold dropper bottle vertically.
(See Figure 7)
6. Hold tube flat against white area of Wide Range
Color Chart (1353). Match sample color to a
color standard. Record as pH.
8
Fig. 6 Transferring
clear solution to
clean tube.
Fig. 7 Adding
drops of Tricel
Indicator.