PH testing

Hi, we've moved house and I'm digging a new veg patch - I thought I'd check the PH level and have bought a kit - it doesn't say but I assume that in a hard water area like this one I ought to use rainwater, not tap water, to dissolve the powder in?

Dovefromabove wrote (see)

Hi, we've moved house and I'm digging a new veg patch - I thought I'd check the PH level and have bought a kit - it doesn't say but I assume that in a hard water area like this one I ought to use rainwater, not tap water, to dissolve the powder in?

Good question...*distilled water should be used for the reasons you suspect. Rainwater isn't ideal because of atmospheric acids it may contain, but is preferable to tap water.

*Melted ice from your freezer/fridge is a good source of distilled water.

"*Melted ice from your freezer/fridge is a good source of distilled water."

An old wives tale I'm afraid David. It would only be true if the ice was made with distilled water to begin with.

Collecting condensate from a boiling kettle would be the best way.

Old wives tale maybe, but I've always believed it to be so because it has been heated & condensed as part of the refrigeration process.

Either way, I still think it adequate for a soil pH kit....which was my point.

Thanks , that's great - as we've not got the water butts connected yet I've left a little tub outside all weekend to collect some rainwater - and it's not rained since - good job I'm not in a hurry