Testing your soil can be a worthwhile exercise, if not only to get
Sand is the heaviest and largest soil particle and wil settle first
outside and play in the garden, but also being in a position to know
what soil you are dealing with. Knowing the make-up of soil is
and wil form the bottom layer, and wil be proportional to
beneficial when it comes to garden design and your planting plans.
the content of your soil sample.
Silt is the next heaviest particle to settle out.
You will you need:
Clay is the lightest particle, and wil settle out last.

Straight sided jars - any type wil do

Spade

Ruler

Soil

Spoon of washing powder, this wil aid the soil particles to
separate and settle easier
Method:
Dig about 2 cups of soil from the rooting zone (under the top
layer of soil)
Once the soil has settled, we can establish the composition of the
If you should dig up an earthworm or two - put the little
soil sample. To calculate the percentage, divide the depth of each
darlings back in the ground
layer of soil by the total soil depth in the jar, and multiply by 100.
Sift and let the soil dry
Fil the jar with soil, about 2/3 of the jar
Total depth of soil 90mm
Fil with water and the spoonful of dishwashing powder
Layer 1 - The top layer is 6 mm
Place the lid on and shake thoroughly
Layer 2 - The middle layer is 4 mm
Leave the jar and al ow the soil to settle
Layer 3 - The bottom layer is 80 mm
How it works:
Calculate the percentage of each depth
Any organic matter not sifted out original y wil float to the
Layer 1 is 6 mm - 6 ÷ 90 x 100 = 6.6 %
surface. (Organic matter wil comprise - grass cuttings, leaves,
Layer 2 is 4 mm - 4 ÷ 90 x 100 = 4.4 %
and roots)
Layer 3 is 80 mm - 80 ÷ 90 x 100 = 89 %
Soil wil start to settle into layers
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