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Soil Salt Meter
SOLUBLE SALTS
----The main ingredients of most fertilizers are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Together, these and other additives intended to enrich the soil may be called SOLUBLE SALTS. These elements are "carried" in the fertilizer compounds. For example: The potassium carriers are usually potassium sulphate or potassium chloride. The nitrogen is usually sodium nitrate. The phosphate is contained in the compound calcium phosphate.
------Fertilizers are often spread in a granular and water soluble form. No matter what fertilizer method is used and whether applied lovingly to a single indoor house plant, or on your lawn, or used professionally in greenhouses and nurseries, or spread over wide acreage in farming, this fact exists:
------Fertilizer applied that isn't readily absorbed by the soil. or absorbed by the plant, will tend to build up and, unless you take action you will kill your plants! At the minimum, the danger is reduced growth and yield.
------This SOIL SALTS METER can help. With it, you can measure the soluble salts concentration to determine if your current fertilizer practices are creating a danger to your plants. The criteria separating the "SAFE" from the "DANGER" zone is a generally accepted level agreed to by a group of scientists in a midwestern Agricultural Experiment Station. The level is approximately 150 mhos x 10-5 (or 1.5 mhos x 10-3).

 

HOW TO USE

1. Be sure the soil is wet and firm.
2. Wipe the probe clean before each test.
3. Insert the probes directly into the soil to within 1" of the meter body.
4. Check the meter reading.
5. Remove the instrument from the soil and wipe the probes clean and dry.
6. Before storing, make sure probes are clean. Wash probes with distilled water if possible. If not possible - tap water.
7. Consult your Soil Salts Guideline for interpretation of your reading.

 

SOIL SALTS GUIDELINE
READING:
Needle points in green "SAFE" area.—
What to do:
Continue your current fertilizing program. Check again 7 days after next ferilizing.
READING:
Needle points in red "DANGER" area.—
What to do:
1. Short Term: Leach the soil with a minimum of 4 gallons of water per 1 square foot of surface area. If "DANGER" situation occurs in a potted plant, stop fertilizing. Water and drain, then test again. If needle still points to "DANGER" area, continue to water excessively until a test shows soil condition is "SAFE".
2. Long Term: Use a lower concentration of fertilizer with each application and/or fertilize less often.
  • If watering from a water softener, find another source of water.
  • Consult your most reliable fertilizer supplier for advice on local conditions.