Algag, sorry for sounding so rough. You didn't offend me. I just get perturbed when I see people constantly saying that they can't afford a PH meter. PH is the single most important consideration. If it is off a little, your plants can easily die. That's not nearly as likely to happen if your lights or ventilation or moisture quantity is off a little.

I got a great deal on a 600W digital ballast and cool tube, and my aeroponics set up is coming in the mail as we speak. The bad news is I can't afford to spend money on something as insignificant as a PH meter, so I hope you guys are really willing to spend a bunch of time helping me diagnose my problems when they come up.

I've been told several times that the $10 PH meters that you stick in the soil are not very accurate. There are some that are, but these are around $90. I almost bought one awhile back. I would get an inexpensive (or expensive) PH pen and test your solution each time you water, and the run off every month or two. Once you get it down a little and you know what materials will do what, then you don't have to check as often.
Opie Yutts Reviewed by Opie Yutts on . Testing soil ph/ I have little test tube and liquid which came with my nute kit for testing PH, not a PH meter. How would I go about properly checking the ph of my soil? Would testing the water drained from the bottom after watering be accurate? Rating: 5