Does anybody have a good reliable pH meter they can recommend? I have 16 raised beds and don't want to shovel out $8 to the Extension to test each one. If I need to amend any of them I'd like to get that done this fall for next spring.

Hannah has one on Amazon for 50 bucks. I have not used that specific product, but Hannah has a decent reputation. Bluelab is excellent, but more expensive.

A closer look at the efficiency and accuracy of all those pH meters will show they are not so very much of a deal. Soil test lab pH meters cost in the thousands of dollars in order to be accurate. Even if you do shell out money for a cheap meter a professional soil test is still a good idea at least every other year. And eight bucks is really cheap. That six years/times and you get all the other information on the soil test. If you do buy an on-line meter, remember it needs to be zeroed with neutral zeroing liquid on a regular basis to keep it accurate.

Just how accurate does one have to be or better yet just how far off are the ones that are cheaper?
Not saying anyone is wrong or right in their opinions or anything.
Just asking.
I've seen people spend hundreds of dollars on gadgets for machine work for basically no reason at all but to spend money.
Stuff like super accurate tailstock alignment bars and other contraptions that aren't necessary at all.
Do we really need to be that accurate for a simple pH test on our soil.
It can actually change from one week to the next where I live.

A pH meter gifted to me several years ago (high priced at that time) indicated my soil pH was 7.1 when a professional test indicated 8.4. Bought buffering solution to adjust the meter back to 7.0, measured the soil again and received a 7.1 reading. Put the probe in buffer solution 12.0 and got 7.0; put it in 3.0 buffer and got 7.0. Buffered at 7.0 and got 7.0. Again the soil was 7.1. This meter was the "best" of the year from Amazon (retailer doesn't really matter but that is where it came from).

In touch with several gardening friends who had meters...not all the same brand...and they all got the same type of results. Maybe the newer meters are better.

My soil does not change quickly but does vary after a few months of adjustment with elemental sulphur. From 8.4 initially down to 7.5. This has been a twenty year process and the soil works hard to return to its natural state of 8.0+. That is why I trust a professional test more than an inexpensive meter that changes .1 pH no matter where it is placed.

https://aperainst.com/grostar-gs2-soil-ph-pen-tester

I've been using products from this company for 4 yrs with very good results although I've not used this exact item.
The PH testers I use from this company are for testing ph in liquid nutrient solutions not soil. But I would expect similar quality with this product.

I used a cheapo meter and got a pH up in the 8s and my tomato plants weren't growing even with fertilizer.
I treated the soil with vinegar and the pH went to around 6 or 6.5 and the plants exploded in new growth.
No idea what the real pH was but it worked well enough to solve the problem.
Tomatoes and most everything else likes an acidic soil.

Ya 6-6.5 is ideal

Yeah $128 bucks to soil test 16 beds, not for me either.

I have yet to test any beds, honestly. I have been encouraged to here and on back on TV, but, I just don't see the need. Like GoDawgs, it would take a lot of samples. It is not just one big garden plot. But I too would like to see an inexpensive, reliable pH meter on the market. It is 2023, bring it on already.

Maybe Harbor Freight reight will save the day.

LOL yeah I think they have a garden way one, or some such, battery with metal prongs...I'm sure it works as well as their french fry cutter did. Been years since I went in there much, thankfully they are on the edge of comfortable drive for me in all directions, same as HD and Lowes

The Chinese are working hard at developing their finest PH meter for $9.99. But if you want the model that actually works then it's $199.00

worth1 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 21, 2023 12:20 pm I used a cheapo meter and got a pH up in the 8s and my tomato plants weren't growing even with fertilizer.
I treated the soil with vinegar and the pH went to around 6 or 6.5 and the plants exploded in new growth.
No idea what the real pH was but it worked well enough to solve the problem.
Tomatoes and most everything else likes an acidic soil.

@worth1 So did you make a vinegar/water mixture or straight vinegar to each plant? Interesting...

pondgardener wrote: ↑Wed Aug 23, 2023 12:21 pm

worth1 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 21, 2023 12:20 pm I used a cheapo meter and got a pH up in the 8s and my tomato plants weren't growing even with fertilizer.
I treated the soil with vinegar and the pH went to around 6 or 6.5 and the plants exploded in new growth.
No idea what the real pH was but it worked well enough to solve the problem.
Tomatoes and most everything else likes an acidic soil.

@worth1 So did you make a vinegar/water mixture or straight vinegar to each plant? Interesting...

I ran it in an Ortho dial and spray at full throttle whatever that was and soaked the whole bed.
Then washed the plants off a little.
The ground foamed like crazy it was so alkaline.
It was a 14 Yard dumb truck load of organic raised bed soil I bought.
Can't remember the company.
But it had compost decomposed granite and I think gypsum maybe other things too.
Horrible on its own wouldn't grow anything the plants did nothing for two weeks I was gone.
I also later I put iornite on it.

pH meters are tricky.
I made a slurry to test the soil.
Also I compared two different ways of testing and both came out the same results.
Really high pH.
But I had to be careful on what I used to lower the pH because I wanted sweet onions.

Moral of the story of your plants aren't growing and you've fertilized don't add more fertilizer.
Once you get the pH right you might run into trouble.