The Best Soil Tester Kits for Thriving Plants

Are your potted plants dropping leaves like a cool DJ on a Friday night? Do the flowers in your home garden keep shriveling up like a single lady under the covers on a cold winter's evening? Even though you've used high-quality soil and fertilizers and you've made sure that your plants are receiving the appropriate amount of sunlight that their particular species requires, if your flowers, veggies, succulents, fruits, or whatever type of plants you're trying to grow are failing to thrive, then a simple solution might be purchasing one of the most rated soil test kits in 2021 to know what's really up with your garden. 

With the best soil pH meter, you can check the pH level of the soil and also monitor its moisture and light content.

And yet there are one too many test types available. Which should you choose? As always, we have put together a buying guide to let you in on all that you need to know before purchasing a soil test kit from an online retailer or a physical store. We even have some information on how you can get your soil tested for free. We know we do too much.  

Why Should I Test My Soil?

Take a look at any box of fertilizer, and you'll see the common macronutrients listed on the label; phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen because just like people, plants need the optimal balance of macro and micronutrients to grow. Before you go ahead and plant those geraniums in your flowerbed, it's important to test your soil to know what you're working with. That way, you can throw out the guesswork in your gardening and amend it to suit the needs of the new flowers or vegetables you want to grow. Without testing, you won't know if your base soil is ready to go, or whether it's going to require an upgrade by blending with other materials to improve it enough to be fertile. Many times, fertilizers are not always the solution. 

As a matter of fact, adding fertilizer to nutrient-rich soil might result in your plants burning, or cause problems associated with erratic growth. Ever heard of root-forking? It is common in over-fertilized carrots and can cause abnormal growth. Nobody wants a three-legged carrot! Except for rabbits. More for them isn't it. And you're not growing your carrots for rabbits, are you? By testing the soil, you are aware of the nutrient level in the soil, and so you can avoid these types of mishaps in your garden.

You also need to know the pH of your soil as well. While all plants are different and require different levels of acidity or alkalinity, most like to remain at a neutral range. Too acidic or alkaline soil will not produce good growth results. 

If you don’t test your soil, you can't guarantee the best growth for your plants.

What Are the Types of Soil Testers?

Chemical soil testers

Chemical soil test kits are relatively straightforward to use. Simply add a small sample of soil from your flowerpot or vegetable garden to a vial, and then insert a colored capsule that corresponds with the vial lid. Shake the vial, and then wait for the chemical reaction to take place. After the reaction is complete, compare the results with the reference chart provided with the kit.

Digital soil tester

Digital kits are a bit more complex than chemical testing kits. These battery-operated units send electrical charges into the ground that interact with the nutrients in the soil. Some kits come with a probe that you tuck into the soil, while others require you to fill a vial with soil and add distilled water before probing the vial for your results.

Lab testing

Professional lab testing is the most accurate method of testing the pH and nutrient quantity of your soil. You’ll need to acquire a soil sample from multiple sites in your garden and mix them. Once the soil dries out entirely, send it to the lab for testing. Lab testing provides very accurate results, but it is somewhat pricey and far costlier than buying a multi-use chemical or digital reader. If you might have numerous nutrient deficiencies in your garden, we suggest you try this method.

How Do I Use a 3-In-1 Soil Tester Kit? 

A 3-in-1 soil tester is a metal-prong instrument that is inserted into the soil to test soil pH, light intensity, and moisture levels. In our review of the best soil pH testers, we considered a bunch of 3-in-1 solutions for testing your soil. You may have noticed that most of these testers are similar in both their design and their functionality, that just goes to show that you really can't go wrong with any from this list. Here is a step by step guide on how to operate one:

Insert the prongs into the soil you wish to analyze. The first reading that appears is the pH, which is measured on a scale from 1 to 14, with 1 being the most acidic, 14 being the most alkaline, and 7 being neutral. You can alter soil pH by adding limestone to raise it, or sulfur to lower it.

Next, push the button on the tester to view the moisture readings. Most plants prefer moist soil in the mid-range. Sand can be added to soil to increase drainage capabilities for excessively moist soil.

Finally, push the button on the tester again to view the light readings in foot candles. For reference, the average indoor home lighting is around 100 foot-candles. Plants requiring shade can be planted in the lower light areas, and plants requiring full sun can be planted in the upper light ranges.

Do use a clean cloth or dry paper towel to clean and dry prongs before testing, and between testing each plant to avoid a false reading on the next plant.

If you'd prefer to watch a video explanation of how to use a soil test kit, this video from California Gardening may help: