Pine bark pH normally ranges from 4.0 - 5.0. Chemical properties of Conifer Bark: Quite high in P and sufficient K Deficient Ca, Mg, and S Sufficient micro-nutrients, except for B and Zn Potentially high Fe:Mn ratio Al

Hello all, I am in desperate need of the following bamboos:Ph. Nuda, Ph. Nuda 'localis' Ph.Bissetii Ph. Astrovagita. I am very new to this and have very little to offer. But I do live in Maine and we do have some very tasty berries native to our state. Anyone interested in native maine Blueberries (Maine and neighboring entities are supposedly the only place where blueberries are native, if that entices anyone.) I also have rasberries and blackberries, I know that all of these things are easily available throughout the country and you may ask yourself why bother? I beseech you to consider that these may be different than anything you may have tasted before. Blueberries from the grocery store are completely different than these In my opinion those steridic imposters don't compare. Anyone aware of the flora of Maine and uninterested by the offers aforementioned please notify me of what it is you are interested in so that we may make a trade. Some things to note, it is illegal to uproot many plants here since they are endangered or threatened, also any plant I send will be used to a colder climate assuming you live in a warmer one so its first year may not be outstanding as it is acclamating to drastic regional differences in climate. It will need a cold winter I highly doubt that it would survive past zone 8 it will need a dormant period to recoperate from the stress of the spring, summer, and rooting process.I am very excited about the possibilites. Thank you, Greg

I wouldn't invest a lot of money in something like that. There are prime PH ranges (not sure what TDS is) but if you are not having problems, then why bother. If you are growing in ground that has worked before, then you should be good to go. If you are growing in containers and use a standard or well know soil mix, then you should be fine. If this is your first year growing either way, then I would say just plant them and see what happens. But that is just me and I try to not get too fancy or extravagant. There are others who wouldn't dream of growing anything without having their soil tested professionally. Peppers seem to be pretty adaptive in my opinion and that is one of the reasons I enjoy growing them. Bruce

With the disclaimer that pH is proven to be unstable (it rises over time in storage) then yes there are several models available that can be used at your own risk. But cost is the break point and none of them are inexpensive. All of the approved models call for regular re-calibration with a series of fresh buffers and they have a limited shelf life so need to be replaced frequently. Most of the ones I am familiar with are made by Hanna Instruments. They offer both portable and bench top instruments and prices range from approx. $50 to over $500 depending on the degree of accuracy you want. Examples of many of their models are listed on amazon.com Dave