Ice the area. Putting something cold on the bruise will reduce swelling and help it heal more quickly. Do this as soon as possible, and you can stop the bruise from spreading so far. 1  Fill a resealable plastic bag with ice chips, or find a bag of frozen vegetables like corn or peas.educe blood flow to the area with gravity's help. Lifting the bruised area so that it's above your heart will prevent blood from pooling in the bruised area, and reduce discoloration. 1  For instance, if the bruise is on your leg, settle onto the couch and rest your leg on top of a few pillows.
Soil pH is a measure of soil acidity or alkalinity and can affect availability of essential soil nutrients to your plants. Your soil is acidic if the pH is lower than 7, a neutral soil has a pH of 7. If your soil has a pH above 7 it is basic or alkaline. Follow the test recommendations concerning adjustment of pH. If your soil is alkaline you can add sulfur to lower the pH. You should add lime if your soil is too acidic. Add lime only as recommended by your soil test results. Organic matter in the soil changes continually. How much organic matter you have in your soil depends on rainfall, temperature, aeration, and many other factors. It takes a lot of compost, manure, peat moss or mulch to make small changes in percentage of organic matter in the soil. Typically good soil contains 2 to 10% organic matter.
Testing the pH of Your Soil and Water. 1  1. Get your soil professionally tested for the best, most accurate results. 2  2. Try a DIY home pH test. 3  3. Be sure to test the pH of your water as well.  4. Know how to read the pH of whatever test you use. pH is a measure of how basic or acidic a substance is. This measure exists on a scale from 0 to 14, with 0 being very acidic (think battery acid) and 14 being very alkaline (think liquid drain cleaner).