Q: If you're serious about growing plants or making your soil more acidic for whatever reason, you'll know that professional sampling is more accurate than DIY home tests. It may not seem like it, but the difference between soil that is 5.5 and 6.5 on the pH scale is pretty big! If you are in the United States, contact the nearest county extension office. They will do a basic soil test, which includes measuring pH, for free or for a small fee. . If you're not into the idea of professional soil testing, you can easily test the pH of your soil at home, but understand that it won't be as accurate as a professional reading. There are several ways to get a pretty decent reading at home:   Use paper strips to test pH. This method will only tell you whether your soil is predominantly acidic or basic, but it's a fun exercise that you can use with lots of different flowers, vegetables, and herbs. Use vinegar and baking soda to test pH. Another rudimentary way of testing acidic vs. basic, this method involves taking a cup of soil and dividing it into two containers. Add vinegar to one container and baking soda and water to the other, seeing which one fizzes. If it fizzes for vinegar, it's basic or alkaline; if it fizzes for baking soda, it's acidic. Buy a home testing kit. A home testing kit should be able to tell you your soil pH by giving you a number. This number is a more informative reading than the simple "this is acidic" or "this is basic" reading of over home methods. The pH of groundwater that you may use to water your plants ranges from about 6.5 to 8.5, but is usually more on the alkaline side so that it doesn't corrode water pipes. If the water you use to water your plants is basic to begin with, and your soil is as well, know that you'll need a little extra "oomph" to produce the desired acidic effect for your plants. One way to get around this potential problem is to use pure, filtered water. Pure water has a pH of 7, which makes it almost completely neutral. Using pure, filtered water is effective, but it can become expensive quickly. 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). 7 is considered "neutral" on the pH scale.  For example, if your soil reads 8.5 on the pH scale, it means that it's slightly basic. You'll need to add a little bit of acidic material to make the soil less basic. If your soil measures 6.5 on the pH scale, it means it's slightly acidic. If you want your soil to be even more acidic, you'll need to add additional acidic material. If you want to get into the nitty gritty, consider that pH is a logarithmic scale, meaning each number represents a 10-fold change. So a pH of 8 is 10 times more basic than a pH of 7, a pH of 8.5 is 15 times more basic, and so on.
A: Get your soil professionally tested for the best, most accurate results. Try a DIY home pH test Be sure to test the pH of your water as well. Know how to read the pH of whatever test you use.

Q: Use plywood, particle board, or MDF to create a base for the scratching post. Buy a piece that’s 2 ft by 4 ft by ½ in (.61 m by 1.2 m by 1.27 cm) or cut it to the correct measurements using a table saw. Exercise caution when cutting to ensure no one gets hurt. Try to pick a natural, non-treated wood. Avoid wood treated with chemicals, as these may be harmful to cats. Your carpet should be at least 3 ft (.92 m) by 5 ft (1.5 m) to ensure you have enough to wrap around the base and staple it tightly. Use an X-acto knife and a ruler to ensure you have a neat, straight line. Choose a stiff carpet, such as Berber, for a longer lasting post. Flip the carpet upside down and lay the base in the middle of the carpet.  Draw a line straight out from each side of the base to the end of the carpet so you have squares extending from the corners.  Draw a straight line ¾ in (1.9 cm) from the corner of the base that intersects the squares you made.  Cut across the straight line first, then cut along the lines you made extending from the corners. Staple the carpet to the bottom of the base on one side, putting staples in every 2 in (5 cm) using a ½ inch (1.3 cm) crown stapler. Pull the carpet tight and staple it on the bottom of the opposite side, putting staples in every 2 in (5 cm). Repeat on the remaining two sides, making sure to staple all the way to edge so your corners are flush.
A:
Cut or buy the base wood. Cut the base carpet to size. Cut notches for the corners. Cover the base in carpet.