So does no one have an answer? It doesn't have to be with pH paper...I just need a relatively cheap way to get the PH of my soil..

Get a Rapitest pH meter for $15. Works great for me, lasts forever. Rub the probe clean before each use to get a good reading. Read the instructions on the box for how to use.

That reminds me, I haven't checked my pH since last spring..

Scott

You will need to add some of your soil to some distilled water. The ratio is not important, as the distilled water has little if any buffering capacity, but it has to be distilled and not tap water. You can then measure with pH paper or a pH meter. I do not know which (if any) cheap pH meters are worth using, but pH paper will give you a good ballpark figure for your pH. Anything between 4.5-6 will be fine, maybe even 6.5 for rabbiteyes. Unless your plants are becoming chlorotic, your pH is probably OK.

by chloric, kiwinut means, the leaves are yellowing rather than green.

I'm lazy....I just add about 1-2 cups of hollytone a season (and a little more if the leaves yellow). If you have weeds around your blueberries its likely that the soil isn't acidic enough.

~Chills

Check with your county extension agent, as many states offer free or very low cost soil tests. This will give you info on pH as well as the levels of all the nutrients in the soil. I wouldn't wait for your plants to become chlorotic, either.

Chills, your statement "If you have weeds around your blueberries it's likely that the soil isn't acidic enough" couldn't be farther from the truth. Many weeds can grow and even flourish in a wide soil pH range.

Well I got one of the pH meters as suggested above. Brilliant little thing. Cost me $10. Half of me wants to take it apart to see how it works lol.

On one plant the pH is 4.5, so about optimum. On the other it's closer to 4. Do I need to raise the pH? And if so how?

There's no lime in our water. I was mistaken about that. Our water shows a more or less even 7.0.

Good Lord, Blewb, first you are worried about lowering your Ph, now you worry about raising it. With the success you had the first season, just keep doing what you were doing, but reduce your applications of sulphur. Your blueberries should be pretty happy with a Ph in the range of 4 to 4.5. My native soil is pretty close to neutral, and all I do after planting in well prepared soil is to scratch in a handful of iron sulphate and ammonium sulphate around the plants each spring. The blueberry plants are happy as clams, with dark green leaves and lots of berries. As long as they look like that, soil testing is not urgent.

Your Ph tester works like the battery in your car, using two metals, one of which gives up electrons to the other in the presence of an acid. It is this flow of electrons that is measured by the meter's needle.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Ah, that makes sense.

And I thought 4 was too low for blueberries which is why I was considering raising it.

Anyhow we have a great rainstorm going on outside right now so the blueberries should be happy. And as I was digging through the soil there were still bits (all be it small ones) of sulfur still in the soil from last season so I piled some mulch around the base so I guess we'll see how it goes.

I was worried about the pH initially because the leaves from last year were turning purple which I thought was due to a lack of phosphorous and a low acidity was preventing the up take of the phosphorous. When I pulled at them, though, they snapped off with relative ease so I guess they were just dead.

Anyhow I have a lot of growth on one bush and the other is starting to grow some leaves and a few buds so I guess I'll just sit back and watch for now.