Bob,
Solvita.comÂÂ..for a KitÂto test soilÂ
WoodÂs End Research Laboratories,
Mount Vernon, Maine. Special Gel $ 15.00 U.S.

You might send them an e-mail or call them direct and inquire about their tester.
Before purchasing any expensive item, you might look in your local garden center or nursery. They have testers that ...while they are not professional tools, they might just give you a reading that will satisfy your needs.

Elemental Scientific, in Appleton, Wisconsin, sells a decent pH meter for around 35 dollars. You will also need storage solution, and calibration standards that match the pH range that you want to check. I have to do this to successfully grow blueberries. Most gardeners do OK without pH testing.

Unless you are willing to spend a lot of money to obtain a really good laboratory pH testor your results probably will not be correct. I have used most of the less than $100.00 testors at various times and found most to them do not give good reliable results and they do not indicate why the pH is where its at which is as important as the reading. Litmus paper, much less expensive, is as good as those somewhat expensive testors and tell you as much.
Since correcting a soil imbalance can take some time, 2 to 4 years often, having a test done annually by your states university (Cooperative Extension Service) is not necessary. Soil testing, for the average gardener, once every 5 years is all that is really needed, although every garden should have an initial soil test from them. Other tests that will help are;
1) Structure. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. A good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top.

2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up.

3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart.

4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer you soil will smell.

5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy.

Bob, check with your local extension office. Many states are offering free pH testing right in the office. THEY have the decent piece of equipment that is more likely to result in an accurate reading, rather than the other 'kits'. They will tell you how to collect and prepare a good sample before bringing it in.

Also, my local botanical garden offers this service for free.

kimmer above states, correctly I believe,
Quote:[home pH testing does not] indicate why the pH is where its at which is as important as the reading I spent 18 years on a farm, studied pH and soil science in college and had an amature greenhouse for 30 years and I feel this fetish for knowing the measured value of the pH without know why the pH measurement has the value it does may be, at best, sometimes misleading.

Bob, check with your local extension office. Many states are offering free pH testing right in the office.

I have to disagree with that statement. To my knowledge, there are only four states that offer free testing at all. I have not heard of any state that does thorough testing in the office. Currently only four states offer free testing to residents.

Bob,

You do not need to have your soil tested every two years. The recommended rate is three to five years.

If you're adding compost that is in it's finished state, the pH should be fine. If you're adding as much as you say, pH should be the least of your worries. Just enjoy the rest of everything else.

Here is a link that might be useful: State Soil Testing Sites

You may certainly disagree, violet....but you're absolutely wrong. I'm 'pretty' sure that I wasn't dreaming. ;-)

I've been associated with several extension offices in several (5) that do free pH testing right in their offices. I suspect that it is a local decision to do so, but as it is quite popular I see no reason why our original poster should not call his local office to see if they happen to offer this service.