Soil Ph Testing Equipment

[happyjune]

Has anyone seen any testers for sale in Thailand ?

If so, are they the electronic type with a prong that you push into moist soil?

How much?

Any tips of where?

I notice that lime is easy to get here and cheap. (well cheaper than Oz, 30kg bag 60baht)

I have failed to see Gypsum available, any ideas on this one ?

Also, I think the water table would have a high salt content, I don't want to pump it up for irrigation, only to make issues later. How do I test the salt content? (Low ground 400m for the ocean)

Thanks so much in advance.

Edited June 14, 2011 by happyjune

[krauti]

Hi there,

you get testers at Chatuchak Market in Bangkok (JJ-Mall). They are about 450 Baht but do not show the pH very accurate. At Kasetsart University Campus, there are some shops who sell better testers for about 3,500 Baht.

For soil improvement, you could use the as they call it "poon kao". it is about 60 % CaCO3 and 30 % MgO. Upcountry they sell it for about 4 Baht/kg.

Have a nice day

Werner Kraeutler

PS: for your kind information, I am sending a brochure concerning a brandnew foliar fertilizer and it's impact.

12 pages Information sheet SUPERGREEN.pdf

[WatersEdge]

Hi happyjune

Gypsum CaSO4.2H20 is available where you find it.

Sheet rock scraps along the highway, in trash dump piles and at building supply stores.

Depending on your local geology, you may find deposits.

I have several low grade dirty deposits in my area,

which doesn't hurt the fertilizer value of it.

One place has tiny clay chips and another has round stones & gravel.

Look for road cuts where the white color bank has dissolved away.

Gypsum attracts water and is somewhat water soluble,

so it disappears with the water quicker than soil.

The Lime you mention is very strong, pH 15

it's Calcium Hydroxide Ca(OH)2 Poon Kao Cement White

If you want the more gentle form get Limestone dust pH 8.3

This topic just came up a few days ago in an earlier thread,

so I won't repeat that information here.

Poon Kao seems cheap to you as compared to Oz,

but Limestone dust is quite literally "dirt" cheap

Even Limestone dust is too strong if applied in excess

If your soil pH is already high enough but you feel you need Calcium,

then of course Gypsum is the easy answer.

[Tagged]

I need help.

 

ph tap water read on cheap meter 5,5

soil ph from 5 - 6,5

pond with rainwater have clay, that have not settled yet ph 6 

 

I bought this today

 

I have been around, and I believe this is what I could get locally. 

 

Anyone can explain what I got, and what to do. Feeling a bit green idiot at the moment, but I will survive. 

 

 

I think the first one is potassium, and the second one is calcium and magnesium. 

 

 

Edited May 30, 2019 by Tagged

[farmerjo]

Whats the bag say on the other side?

[Tagged]

16 minutes ago, farmerjo said:

Whats the bag say on the other side?

 

[farmerjo]

Not sure what it is,my wife cant decipher it in farming terms.

The only thing i would say is be careful of is buying compost fertilizers.

The government had a warning out a couple of years ago as people were being scammed.

 

[Tagged]

It was the biggest wharehouse I could find in Chaiyaphum, and would be surprised if they sold fake fertilizers. 

 

My gf says it is dolomite, and we called the guy wo delivered the mushroom "seeds", not sure of the english term for that, but he said it was good for the soil, and the mushroom cultivation as well. Guess we mix it in the pond. 

 

How to mix the Patassium chloride in to the pond? Could I have an reaction if mixing straight in to water? 

[farmerjo]

Dolomite is a more expensive form of lime,it's a ph adjuster for soil.

On the bag i see a 100% but i don't see any chemical symbols and ratio.

Try doing your mixing in a small glass bottle to see what reactions you get.

 

 

 

 

[IsaanAussie]

https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/soils/acidity/publications/best-lime

 

This is a pretty good description of differing types of lime. The 100% figure could be the "NV" value meaning acid "neutralising value". That would be pure calcium carbonate or ag lime. 

Our local fertiliser/feed store usually sells lime, dolomite and gypsum. I use dolomite because it has both calcium and magnesium carbonates.  

The article also talks about the ration of calcium to magnesium being ideal at 5 to 1. There is a lot of science now on balancing nutrients to avoid locking some up in unusable forms.