How to determine soil acidity. Very often, gardeners do not know and are not interested in the level of soil acidity in their area. This causes low yields and various plant diseases. Each plant prefers its own level of soil acidity. Today we’ll talk about how to determine the acidity of the soil in your area. 
Garden plants grow, develop and produce high yields better on neutral and slightly acidic soils. Everyone's sensitivity to soil acidity is different. In acidic soils, plants do not absorb nutrients well and their root system does not develop well. Experienced gardeners say that if after rain there is red water with a rainbow film in the ditches, then the soil on the site is acidic. Horsetail, mint, and horse sorrel grow well on such soil. On the slightly acidic side - clover, chickweed, wheatgrass, fragrant chamomile, and on the neutral side - quinoa, nettle, red clover. Soil acidity can be determined using a pH meter or litmus paper. In several places on the site, take 20 grams of soil from a depth of 20 cm, mix thoroughly, put it in a bag and lower it into water (you need 100 grams of water). After 10-15 minutes, lower the litmus paper there. The color of the paper is comparable to the acidity scale on the packaging. Soil with pH-7 is considered neutral, higher alkaline, lower acidic. Very acidic soil has a pH of 3.8. strongly acidic - 4.1-4.5, medium acidic - 4.6-5.0, weakly acidic - 5.5-6.0. The most sensitive to soil acidity are all types of cabbage, onions, beets, cucumbers, peppers, cherries, and plums. Garden plants develop better in slightly acidic soils, so only strongly acidic soils need to be limed. It is better to lime the soil in the fall and you should not add lime together with manure and humus, it can enter into a chemical reaction with them. It is also good to deoxidize the soil with dolomite flour, according to the rate indicated on the package. We talked to you about how to determine the acidity of the soil in your area and how, if necessary, to carry out deacidification. Watch an interesting video on determining soil acidity.
I use a device to determine soil and acidity. It works quite well. Based on the readings of the gadget, I determine places for planting vegetable and other crops in the garden. I believe that this approach to the harvest is correct!
What is dolomite flour? And I would also like to know if you water the garden with buckets of water containing soda, will this lead to anything? Will it have an anti-acidity effect?
If you fertilize your garden with mineral fertilizers, the acidity of the soil will increase.Therefore, it is necessary to periodically lime the soil. Of course, it is best to determine the acidity level using litmus paper.
I also test with litmus paper
The simplest indicator for determining soil acidity is vinegar. You need to make a few drops on soil samples from the garden. If hissing starts, then the soil is not acidic, but if nothing happens, then the soil is acidic.