Rapitest Soil Test Kit for Gardens, Vegetables, Flowers and Lawns. USA designed and assembled soil tester completely, quickly and accurately measures/analyzes soil pH acidity and garden nutrients

Beginner-friendly, quick result

The kit provides information about pH, P, K, and N. The results are indicative, not exact measurements (e.g. sufficient, deficient, etc.) but are adequate for a home grower. I cannot comment on the accuracy of this kit because I don't have other ways to perform the tests, but the results make sense from what I have experienced growing some plants and the information I found on the soil of the area. Pros: results easy to read, instructions very clear, enough material for 10 tests each of pH, P, K, N. A dropper is provided to add liquid to the tiny test container. The capsules are color-coded to match the test containers, so it is hard to make mistakes. Tests take 10 minutes, a reasonable time. Cons: the capsules, at least in my kit, are hard to open and tend to shatter when opened with scissors. I recommend opening the capsules on a piece of paper so that the spilled chemicals can be collected and the capsule pieces removed before pouring in the test kit. Also, the opening of the test container is small and the container spills easily. I recommend supporting the test container while filling it, or having a helper hold it. All things considered, I am happy with this kit.

This product is easy to use and pretty accurate. Just to give you some background on me and why I can support that claim- I am an Environmental scientist and hopefully soon to be Professional Soil Scientist (once I pass some exams). So this is why I say it’s pretty accurate. I tested my yard and flower beds. Because of my profession, I have access to a soil probe. I took multiple samples across the yard between 6-12” deep and submitted that as 1 composite sample and did the same for my flower beds. I submitted these samples to the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension (i’m In Houston, Tx) and I just got results back. (They are very affordable and will even consult with you about results) First, let me tell you what this test kit told me. It told me my Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorous (P) is depleted, I maxed out on the Potassium (K) and my pH was at maximum of at least 7.5. My actual soil results confirmed I have 0 ppm Nitrate-N, very little P at 5 ppm, K reported at 108 ppm but does not exceed the “high” or Critical Level and my pH is at 8.0. I would say that considering how cheap this kit is, it was pretty accurate certainly gave me enough information to steer me in the right direction. Now I just need to apply my hard earned knowledge in Soil Fertility to real life, instead of just theory. =) I hope this information helped someone feel More confident in using this kit. *Update- I passed one of my exams and am now a Certified Professional Soil Scientist. Had to brag on myself I’m so excited, yay me!

Look - I should have done this 8 years ago. Nope. I fell for the marketing - the four applications a year of the recommended seasonal product. And every year my lawn would look horrible around August or September. In hindsight a wise soil chemist could have likely named the issue - deficiencies in crucial nutirents and a pH problem - just by looking at the weeds in the lawn. I am not a soil chemist. Other than the blonde in the front row of freshman chemistry which was only offered at 7.30am I found most of the class boring. Uninteresting. Incomprehensible. I would have flunked if it were not for her being assigned my lab section and giving me a reason to attend a 2.30pm Friday lab. While her name is long forgotten to the nearly three decades since that class, two things I did not forget: the way she looked at me with utter disgust one of the many times I failed to offer an even halfway compentent response to question, and the importance of following directions in chemistry experiments in order to obtain accurate results. Not being a soil chemist I did the test - on two different areas of my 3,000 square foot lawn. And what I found was that despite my poor attempts at regular lime applications the pH was 5.5. And my occasional and relatively inconsistent application of whatever fertilizer was both in season and on sale left me with a complete and utter deficiency in Nitrogen and Potassium (the N and the P of the N-P-K number). Which - as any soil chemist will tell you - results in the perfect growing conditions for goosegrass and violets - two realtively common weeds that are a regular sight in my lawn. In conclusion - think of this handy soil test as an insurance policy against applications of the wrong fertilizer - or in this case - insurance against wasting money applying fertilizer when the pH is 5.5. And oh yeah - perhaps I should do something about my longstanding policy of being utterly ignorant about chemistry.

I can't say for sure it's accurate but I sure hope so because I bought fertilizers based on these readings. I would not buy again because so few capsules are included and replacement ones seem hard to get at a fair price. I have a whole empty yard to plant, which has miserable clay soil I need to ammend, fertilize or replace depending on the needs of each plant. I tested five zones of existing soil, and tested a plot where I had mixed in ammendments galore the year before, to see if I'd achieved normalcy there, and had wasted a couple "pills" learning the technique... and tgat was all, I ran out of one "pill" type. I had hoped to be able to double check a second sample from each zone, and also test them all again after working on the soil. But what they give you just doesn't go far at all. And you can't use the rest once one type runs out. What good is checking your potassium level if you can't check your nitrogen, right? You need the whole set of results to plan what to add. I hated the testing vials. They're skinnier on the bottom than the top, making them a bit unstable. It seems safe enough, if you're worried about that. I was not especially careful and likely got all four powders on my hands, but despite being a very sensitive person, I got zero irritation (washed well, as soon as I was finished, of course). Also none of it smells at all. Though I certainly wouldn't do it with a fan on or anything else that'd stir up the dust into your eyes or breathing air. Ideally I'd love to see a manufacturer make two kits, one for soil that is known to be poor, one for normal, and the testing chemicals modified in type or concentration so as to provide an appropriate level of sensitivity. Because most of my tests didn't change color at all our soil is so lousy- I'm right off the chart, maybe by a little or maybe by a lot. I see a lot of other reviewers saying the same. I think most people who buy things like this do so because their soil is known to be poor. So it's annoying that the kit is calibrated to leave so many of us outside the range. If you have pretty good soil but just want to fine tune it, then you might find the kit great for your needs. In the spring I will fertilize according to what this kit told me, and I guess give it time to settle in, then maybe in the fall, source some more "pills" for this so I can see what levels I get then. I'll make just small changes, to hopefully get into a range where the kit can give a reading, and then I can add more fertilizer with precision. Or maybe I should just send some soil to a lab. Probably easier & will give me more confidence.

I have been struggling with an area of my garden and decided to try this. They were relatively easy (and pretty fun) to use with the exception of the chemical reactant capsules. Directions are great, and how to manage deficiencies addresses. But the capsules need to be DRY. Once you open the package and they are exposed to moisture in the air, they become difficult to open. You have to fill the testing unit with dirt and water per directions. Then you need to open a capsule by pulling it apart and dump powder into a tiny cell in the unit. DO READ DIRECTIONS. Just know that the testing process for pH is different to that for nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. FIRST - be sure that once you have the unit ready with dirt and water. Be sure to stabilize it because it can be easily knocked over in the process of struggling to open a capsule and dump the contents into the testing cell. My husband held it steady on the counter for me. SECOND - the first capsule will open easily but you will have difficulty with the others once they've been exposed to any ambient moisture. I held the capsule upright, gave it a couple of firm flicks with my finger, and snipped the very end off with a scissors then dumped the contents into the test cell. You will need to flick with your finger to get all contents out and into the cell. THIRD - be sure to record your results. Derive a table so that you can add later results after you've done any amendments so that you can tell that you're getting your soil corrected in the direction that you need.

I got some "well aged" compost, and pretty much nothing grew well. I grabbed these and it became very clear that the soil was very lacking in P and N. Being so far off, it was much better to get into the right ballpark before paying for an expensive university extension test. Keep in mind the number of tests corresponds to the number of pill capsules, so a 20 test kit can test all 4 measurements 5 times. The capsules are a little annoying to open, especially if you have dry hands. The test containers are terribly unstable. Put them inside a small cup or wedge against something Follow the time limit for the Blue test, and make sure to shake that one. If you let it go longer, it will eventually turn dark blue and you'll get a false result. You must take your reading at the correct time. The others are not so variable with time.

Arrived in great shape. The instructions are clear and it's easy to use. Matching the test results to the color scale charts was easy to see and understand. I had no problems with my test. I primarily used the kit to check the PH levels in a large bed, about 20x15 feet, and found slightly different results in different parts of the bed, which was good to know. Next time I want to check soil in an area I'm working in, I will buy this test kit. I recommend it as a good, quick, and easy-to-use kit. It doesn't replace or equal a State/University Agriculture department test for large projects, but it's great for getting a good reading of the soil condition for new plantings.

I hadn't realised until I tried this product out on our allotment just how improverished the soil was. The pack was very easy to use and the instructions were clear. I can now safely add the nutrients in the right quantities for my vegetables.

I took a sample from my veggie garden to see how my soil is. The tests were easy to perform and the results were very clear. I am hoping that this year were have a bountiful harvest come fall because I amended the soil as per the results. Fingers crossed!

It shows pretty close results compared to professional lab test. What type of nitrogen it is testing for would be good to know though. To apply the test capsule reactants to the tiny test chambers is a fiddly, fumbly business. There should be a kind of hopper coming with it, especially since the base of the test containers are not designed for a stable stand. I tried to find out wether you can buy replacement capsules. If I have to buy an entire new set after ten tests than this is unsustainable plastic waste.

Tut was es soll, funktioniert, kann natürlich nicht überprüfen, ob die Testergebnisse stimmen.

Tres bien