You may know that April 22 is Earth Day, but did you also know that April is also National Garden Month? Home gardening is a great way to support the environment by growing your own fruits and vegetables. Growing your own food in a personal garden not only helps reduce the amount of gas to transport fruits and vegetables, but it also cuts down on travel to and from the grocery store. If you would like to get started growing your own fruits or vegetables in your personal garden, below are a couple helpful tips to get growing!
First, you need seeds (of course); pick up your favorite fruit or vegetable seeds. Second, you need soil. But, it is very important that your soil offer a healthy environment for your plants. One way to ensure healthy soil is to check the pH levels of your soil. Plant health and productivity is greatly affected by the pH, salinity, and alkalinity levels of your soil. These vital factors are often overlooked by many growers resulting in poor plant health.
Soil pH and Conductivity Meter Kit
To ensure optimal soil health, check the pH of your soil with a pH meter and a conductivity meter. pH meters and conductivity meters are available at your local garden supply shop, hydroponics dealer, or you can order these items directly from Cole-Parmer. For help testing your soil, contact our Applications Specialists.
You’ll be on your way to healthy soil and growing your own fruits and vegetables in no time. And, you can feel good about helping the environment, and helping yourself by eating healthy.
The below video will show how to take a pH measurement of your soil samples. The items we used were the pH 11 meter (35614-22), temperature probe (35613-05), and electrode 35805-01.
