Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Water chemistry PH meter for soil and water?

I'm getting into gardening and pond management at the same time. Is it possible (or worthwhile) to get a ph meter that can measure the ph of both water and soil? Or would I be better off getting separate specialized meters for my ponds and garden?

Also, can anyone recommend a specific meter? I'd prefer one that I can stick into the water and/or soil and get a reading pretty quickly since I'll be testing lots of different areas on my acreage to determine the best spots for growing various things.

pH varies a lot in ponds during a 24 hour period unlike in dirt. You can use pH but it requires multiple readings all during a 24 hour period. Alkalinity is a better measure in water.

Thanks for the info. I'm not sure what the difference is between pH and alkalinity. I thought that something with high alkalinity just meant that it has a high pH and was not acidic. I obviously have more reading to do.

This should help

https://srac.tamu.edu/index.cfm/event/getFactSheet/whichfactsheet/112/

alexdestin, if dolomite (ag lime) is not added in exact proportions it can raise PH much higher than 7.0.

Dolomite can raise PH to 8.2-8.4.