Garden Soil Testing w/ Rapid Test Kit - Instructions and Demo (PH, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium)

[@kathyzakharyuk8050]

Thanks for showing us how to do the test! I’m usually averse to reading detailed instructions, but am happy to watch an instructional video :)

[@RhesaPhillips]

Thanks for the close ups good job

[@kylekayser2291]

Thankyou very much for taking the time to produce this video well done my friend.

[@richardmullinax5599]

When I was younger back in Ohio, my Dad always did this every year and he had the best garden in the neighborhood. Great yields and jealous neighbors. I have forgotten about this guess I'll be ordering a test kit now and fix my garden. Thanks for the info.

[@lizs7301]

Wow! Super helpful video and very clear and no too long. I'd love to hear your journey on how you supplemented your soil.

[@NanA-lm5ox]

Hi Great Lakes, this is the first year I planned to test my soil, I just didn’t know what test kit to use, I am going to give this a try! Thank you! The garden is under 8 inches of snow now but I am already in planning mode.

[@alainaval]

Thanks for this video! I’m starting my new garden, placing beds, etc and this was super helpful

[@marilyn6312]

Hey Thanks! This is great! Easy to understand, informative and very instructional. I was going to jump right in but thought this video would help and it did!!

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

Thanks Marilyn, glad it helped!

[@terrychrist1383]

I just bought me one of those soil kits and haven't read the directions all that well yet. But with you showing this video help me and awful lot I thank you for that. God bless you and your family 🙏🤗🐕🐾🐾🐈🐾

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

Thanks Terry, I'm glad you found it helpful!

[@laynelajoy2936]

The instructions recommended drying the soil, and removing all roots and rocks and non-soil materials, they also recommended putting the water in the Ph tester (put dispenser cap back on so only test chamber is uncovered) after the soil but before the test powder, I prefer soil then powder then water so that I don't spill everything trying to add powder while I hold the tester (or get a small spring clamp to stabilize the test comparator) and undo the capsule. They also say you use 5 parts water to 1 part soil, they do say cups, but they also say as long as you stay with 5:1 it is good. What they don't say is what is 5 to 1, is it by weight or volume, since they didn't say weight, I assume volume but would go with shot glass of soil and 5 shot glasses of distilled water (although distilled water is usually 6.0 Ph) I recommend using a small stainless steel strainer, like 1/2 cup and putting the dried soil in the strainer, put a plastic bowl like old margarine or butter container under strainer and use a teaspoon to grind powder thru use a clear plastic bowl with a top and add 1 shot glass soil, 5 shot glasses water, close and shake and wait until the next day to do the N,P,K tests.

[@vminifie837]

Thank you so much for this, the instructions that came with the kit were lacking.

[@laynelajoy2936]

Go on line and down load the PDF easier to zoom in and read then that small print on the cardboard insert

[@Wes-234]

thanks for the video! im about to do this for my grass for the first time. great explanation on how to do it.

[@Tar7560]

Thank you so much for putting this video out. It was very informative and helpful.

[@daynalandgrebe2327]

Thanks for this. Very helpful demo

[@louisbailey-118]

Great video 👍

[@Synganic]

Just got this thing and I watched ur video before using it. I’m sitting here thinking about the K test and the orange being hard to see and I came up with an idea. I’ll do the k test in the ph container being that it’s clear and just replace the analysis slide from the K into the slide holder on the ph container.

[@freewaybaby]

Thanks! I was about to do the pH test all wrong. That was the only test I was looking to do. Thanks again. Came back to ask… What is the larger side of the little container for on the NPK tests?

[@Kre8d]

This is great. Thank you.

[@junehickey8483]

I appreciate you demonstration.. Only question I have, would be to explain why with the ph test unit you only use the chamber on the left when facing it and add soil, test chemical and water to the same little container, even though the unit has a large container as well and the cap seals on it too.. However nothing goes in there.. ??? It didn't explain it that way on the printed information card.

[@EliCantoriano]

great video very close up very spoken

[@DRUMMER-j-u2x]

I didn't know you could get little tests like that. That's awesome! Keep us posted on how you amend the soil. Will you be using compost, or manure, or just be adding specifically the Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium elements? How do you plan on adjusting the PH? This was a great video, Great Lakes! Thanks so much!

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

Hi Drummer, I'll end up testing the soil again after I add my compost and peat moss. This may be all I need for all my levels, as that ought to provide the nutrients as well as lower the PH a little. If not, I will have to amend with store-bought products. If I avoid using chemical products, lowering PH seems to be a more gradual thing using organic materials. That's probably what I'll end up doing, so the PH might not be quite perfect for tomatoes this year... but we'll see after the compost and peat are added.

[@DRUMMER-j-u2x]

@@GreatLakesPrepping Sounds like a good plan of action, Great Lakes.

[@cyhomer]

What is the point of filling the larger chamber with the ‘soil water’ for the npk tests?

[@cpwhiskey]

It is so the colour is the same for the chart. With water it gets darker

[@Liz514]

Thanks for going through these. The directions had me confused. What kind of organic fertilizer do you use?

[@trishaamorasino7873]

Aside from those colors, can I compute that into a quantitative data?

[@davidbrewer7937]

Just ordred this kit before seeing tte video... i kniw sometiing is wtong in my muck, bdcause some things simply do not grow like prppers. It makes sense because. How do you know what yo add if you dont have a clue what is missing?...

[@bonnieganschow9137]

When I was cleaning my garden shed this year I found that I needed to purchase a new kit. Always use this, it will make a big difference in your garden this year. You will be pleasantly surprised and happy with the results! Take us along this season so we can share in your wonderful results! 🙏🙌❤️

[@marilyn6312]

Quick question for you please.......any problem with completing the test with less proportions of dirt and water? Or is it absolutely necessary to use 1 cup of dirt:5 cups of water? FYI - Lusterleaf's voice mail is not monitored. Thank you very much.

[@faizothman1354]

Hi. Does the instruction tells you what it meant by surplus, sufficient, adequate, deficient and depleted? Does it also shared tips on how to increase them should it be deficient and depleted? Thanks

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

Surplus means there's more than needed, sufficient means it's just right, adequate means it's not perfect, but good enough, deficient means too little, and depleted means basically none. There are a lot of different things to amend your soil with to raise or lower levels of these things. There's a lot that goes into soil science that I unfortunately can't cover here. I hope that helps a little.

[@erinbeltran1820]

I have one of these. The instructions say to fill the soil to the “soil line” and fill the water to the “water line” however there is ONLY 1 line so it doesn’t make sense.

[@PabloRomero-ne2rq]

Don’t forget to use Distilled water. Never drink distilled water though. It’s used for experiments and to clean tools that you use for experiments. Also probably use distilled water when you mix that one cup of soil so you can get an accurate reading. Water isn’t just water. Good luck in the garden!

[@DequelMaxwell-dp5em]

I'm about to do mines rn

[@clearwatervalleythrift3443]

Hi, I didn’t know testing soil was an option until recently. My neighbor (rural Idaho) has been putting hay, goat poop and chicken poop in his garden. Looked like a good idea, but I was weary of all the poop. Now I will look and see what my soil actually need! Thanks for the demo.

[@GoldenBoy-et6of]

I dont recomend poop in the garden or on the farm! If you grow in poop and you break leaves off any plant that's growing in it, the leaf stems juices will smell like a hint of cow poop and that doesnt happen with bat guano or worm castings, only with manure from grazing animals!

[@GoldenBoy-et6of]

Also poop is pretty hot and very acidic so for most people it might lower the ph to much considering it's common for soil to be to acidic but uncommon for it to be to alkaline unless in burnt areas!

[@SameDayparlay]

thank you so much

[@MIAJANEGIGANTO-t3d]

hello asking if the intensity of shaking the solution does affect the results?

[@ravenbonanza1522]

Very informative video. I guess you need 10-10-10 Fertilizer?

[@cyhomer]

Thanks so much!

[@myrnapetit6012]

My ph test came out a medium blue. What does that may? high alkaline?

[@erinbeltran1820]

On my boxes there are NO LINES ON BOTTOM FOR SOIL LINE. Grrr.

[@thelegendaddyspamdonut7605]

My soil is so bad the PH test returned blue.

[@berolegend]

what capsul content

[@9jmorrison]

Now the capsules are down to 6! Bidnenomics

[@chefbrittan84]

My ph came out blue. What’s that mean?!

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

I don't really know. In some PH test kits, blue can mean alkaline, or indicate the presence of chlorine (like for pool testing). With this particular kit, I am not sure. Are you certain you used the correct powder for the PH test?

[@chefbrittan84]

@@GreatLakesPrepping yeah. Green powder, green container. I’ll try it again. I realized my mistake after posting this. But in case it helps someone else…. I touched the soil, and I used R/O water. My R/O has an alkaline and mineral fortifier so no wonder it was off the charts blue as alkaline.

[@Murlockingqc]

@@chefbrittan84 they suggest using distilled water, that's what I'm gonna do and use the correct dilution rate... i think both of those aspects are important to get a correct reading and leaving the soil+water solution to clarify for at least 24 hours before using

[@asprywrites]

Problem is, another guy compared his test to lab tests and the numbers varied. Idk if we can trust these things.

[@GoldenBoy-et6of]

Their the best reviewed soil test kits and the most accurate, lab tests are the best way but they cost alot and arent so easy

[@laynelajoy2936]

@@GoldenBoy-et6of My deer camp owner said that the local farm supply store told him he could take samples from several parts of his meadow and mix them all together for the test, obviously that doesn't work. I think this test is good, but you have to try and be accurate, dry soil, grind it down to small particles. Soil tests are like $20 each and it is better to do maybe 2 per food plot. or per acre in a large meadow.

[@dongaede3806]

I just bought one of these kits to test my soil nitrogen. Like your result, mine came out showing 0 nitrogen! I was suspicious, since I had applied 16/16/16 fertilizer on this soil only a week ago, and watered it in. So then I mixed 3 Tbs blood meal (pure nitrogen) and 2 Tbs 16/16/16/16 fertilizer in a cup of water, let it sit 2 hours, mixed it up, and tested the water for nitrogen. It still read 0 nitrogen!! This is BS. I'm taking it back to the store tomorrow for a refund.

[@DrSlick]

Did you use distilled water?

[@vijaylaxmi9855]

Coast of this kit

[@kimmmoon.]

I just bought one at home depot for 16 bucks. It's dusty af

[@pierreverdoni]

For the PKN test why did you fill the right side? no use whatsoever

[@theepete4851]

I think its to match with the tint of the water sample

[@laynelajoy2936]

@@theepete4851 Just like you say, so that the color chart is right next to the test chamber, when it is dry you can store capsules in the large chamber, the top can be reversed to cover that large chamber

[@deathatthefeast5326]

It's potassium not pot ash. Lmfao

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

It's both. In this context, they refer to the same thing. The word "Potash" is literally printed on the K-Test sample container. You can see it clearly in the video, and on the product. Here's some additional knowledge for you, to help you understand a little better: "Potash is a name for potassium-bearing minerals used for fertilizer. Potash includes various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water-soluble form. The name derives from pot ash, plant ashes or wood ash soaked in water in a pot, the primary means of manufacturing potash before the Industrial Era. The word potassium is derived from potash."