The Best Soil Ph Meter for Indoor and Outdoor Plants

Ph levels are essential for your plant’s ability to uptake of nutrients.

A higher or lower ph level in the soil can have a damaging impact on your plants if not caught soon enough.

The best way to check your levels is by using a soil ph meter.

Testing the ph of the soil can help you when you suspect a nutrient deficiency the Ph level may help you narrow down the what is occurring.

For info on nutrient deficiencies check it out here

There are several different ways to measure the pH level of your soil.

We will cover all methods that the home grower can do.

Some involve probes another way is through kits and if you are using your plants indoors and in pots to test the runoff.

Everything covered in this post that will help you pick a way to test your pH of the soil.

So let’s jump right In,​​​​​

What to look for in a soil ph meter

• Easy to use, this is key if you do not want to mess with drip solutions or testing strips like a chemical experiment.  
• Durable Something you can just jab into the soil with, probes will accomplish this for you.
• Accuracy, how accurate is the meter does it have all ph levels from 0-8. Or does it skip a couple of numbers and just add 3, 5, 8 for example.
• Probe depth, how far does it go into the soil. It’s best to go at least 2 inches down to be able to see what the actual ph level of the soil is.
• Multi-Use, most meters out there can measure how dry the plant is. Some even can measure the light level in the soil.

Best soil ph meter

Here are a list of the best soil ph meter’s on th market right now!

The Macdodo soil meter can measure the moisture level and the ph level of the soil.

The tester is a basic meter that is easy to use and accurate.

You can use this meter indoors or Outdoors which is great you’re an all year Gardner.

This meter does not require a battery. This meter feature ranges from 0 to 10 for dry-normal or wet soil.

Pros:

• Easy to use
• Can change settings easily
• Check moisture levels

Cons:

• Gives a general reading
• Stop working after a month

The Kelway soil ph meter is an accurate and reliable tester.

This meter is used by Professionals in nurseries.

It allows them to determine if their soil has a higher or lower pH which can positively impact the plants.

The kelway pH meter can go 2 in into the soil,  some meters out there can go in a lot deeper the meter only needs to 2 inches for testing.

This meter comes with a ph conditional film paper which aids in the testing procedure.

Pros:

• Can accurately tell the pH level.

Cons:

• Pricey
• Only checks ph level

The Fixkit meter is a classic moisture meter and ph meter combo.

With the flick of a switch, you can go from testing the moisture to check in at the pH level pretty cool.

The moisture levels range from 1 to 10 consisting of dry medium and wet.

What’s right about this pH meter for your soil is that it does not come with any batteries they are not required.

One another bonus with the meter is that you can also measure the light level in your growing medium.

You can also place this meter at least 2 to 4 in into the soil.

Pros:

• Has three ways to test issues with light, moisture, ph
• Fast
• No batteries required

Cons:

• Can be hard to get an accurate reading

The KK mall 3-in-1 soil meter is a great three-way meter.

Kkmall can tell you the ph level of your grow soil. With an easy to read display, you can see if your soil has a high or low ph.

Also check the light penetration the soil is getting.

You can stick the meter into the soil to a depth of at least 4 inches.

This meter can also be helpful when watering because there are different settings with a range between 1-10 to tell you how dry your plants are.

What’s neat about this 3 in 1 meter is that it does not require battery it’s simple to use with just a push of a switch the pH to the moisture with ease.

Pros:

• More accurate than others
• Good quality
• No batteries required

Cons:

• Does not last long

When you need to test the ph or moisture level in your plants, the Sonkir 3 in 1 can do just that.

Not only can you test ph and moisture levels to determine when to water your plants.

It also comes with the ability to check out the light level in the soil of your plants.

This can be a bonus to make sure your root zone is in optimal health.

No batteries are required so you can use this meter inside and outdoors when checking plants.

Easy to slide button to change to the different settings.

This meter is more focused on moisture level than he ph readings as it only goes from 8 down to 3.5 for ph levels.

Pros:

• Easy to use
• thumbs-upThree-way testing

Cons:

• Ph levels are general ranges
• Not accurate enough

The ph meter by Environmental Concepts is a ph meter with basic functionality.

The dual probe sensors will only check the ph of the soil.

This meter is not like other probes on the market that test multiple issues like how dry or wet your plants are and also if the light is penetrating the soil.

An easy to read display can tell you in an instant what the ph level is so no messing with kits.

If you already have a moisture meter and just need the oh level, this one may be what you’re after.

The ph meter will go into the soil about 2 inches and does not require batteries.

• Can check ph levels

• Cannot stick it deep enough
• Not accurate 

Best soil ph test kit

Here we review the best soil test kits that are available right now.

The Luster leaf rapitest kit Is very basic ph soil testing kit.

The rapitest comes with the ability to test the pH of your soil ten times.

An inexpensive and easy to use PH soil test kit.

It comes with four vials one for the soil PH and the other three are for nitrogen phosphorus and potassium.

All you need to do is gather a soil sample and place into the testing tube, with a solution and wait.

Then you can see the levels of the soil.

Pros:

• Easy to use
• Inexpensive

Cons:

• Gives a general reading

When you need to check your soil ph level, and require more information.

The Environmental Concepts Professional Soil Test Kit is something to consider.

The professional soil test kit comes with 80 test strips, and you can check ph levels as well as nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus levels.

There is a hard case included and this great for outdoor growers needing to check various plants for ph levels.

To ensure proper nutrients uptake by your plants.

This test kit is for more extensive work you would like to check on your soil, for a simple ph test kit this is maybe too much involved for just testing ph levels.

Pros:

• Can check multiple issues
• Little more accurate than probe
• Long lasting

Cons:

• Have to use solutions
• Takes time

Best way to test ph in soil

Here is one way to check your soil ph with a probe.

You will need two items the ph meter probe and distilled water.

Distilled water has a neutral level ph so it will help when using the probe.

Mix at least 2 inches of depth in soil to create mulch, then wet the area with the water and then place the probe in and record the reading.

Do this in at least 3-4 parts around the plants base.

The average the results will give you the ph reading,

A second way is a professional test kit, with this you can check multiple levels with nutrients N-P-K or even ph levels.

Take samples of soil and add the required amount of solution type for the test required. Wait a set period until results appear.

How to test soil ph with ph water

There is another way to check ph level, and that is by examining the runoff of your plants after watering.

You can test with a digital probe or pen meter of your choice. 

This is done when watering with ph neutral water such as distilled water, you can also use reverse osmosis water or regular tap water. 

Just make sure you adjust your ph level of the water.

After the runoff occurs collect it in a container. Then check the ph level with digital ph reader.

How accurate are soil ph meters

Soil ph meters can give you an indication your soil is either in high medium normal or lower ranges.

It’s best for you to take multiple test samples to get your average ph level.

If you are using checking your plants in pots, you can also check the runoff of your water to determine the ph level.

Some growers argue this is a far more superior way to test your ph level than using a probe to stick into the soil.

Final thoughts

A soil ph meter can help you understand the levels of ph in your soil.

The ph level can impact nutrient uptake and the well being of the plant.

If using ph probes, they may be fast and easy to use but they may not be as accurate.

We recommend if you are growing in pots to check the runoff t give you an indication if you need to fix the ph level of your soil.

The best way to confirm is to use a digital ph meter. Like the blue lab combo meter.

Have you used a ph meter for soil?

Which one did you use?

Let me know in the comments