Classifying Soils
- 1
To grow plants well, find out what type of soil you have.dirt image by jackie from Fotolia.com
Dig several holes in your garden with your trowel. Look at the color and texture. Make notes in your notebook about the location where you took the soil and how it looked. - 2
Play in the dirt to get a feel for it.dirt image by tomcat2170 from Fotolia.com
Take the soil in your hand and rub it between your fingers to see how it feels. Squeeze it to see if it forms a ball or falls apart in your hand. Make notes about that as well. - 3
Clay soil needs amendments to have successful plant growth.closeup of dried out brown soil image by Victor B from Fotolia.com
If the soil you took out of the garden compacted into a ball in your hand, you have clay loam. This type of soil is hard to grow plants well in and must be amended with compost and organic matter to break up the particles. This is dense soil that will hold water so the plants won't get the benefit of it. Clay soil also feels slick and sticky when wet. - 4
Sandy soil allows water and nutrients to run through it.at the beach image by Lily Forman from Fotolia.com
Soil that falls apart easily and feels gritty is sandy loam. It will not hold nutrients well and water will run through it just as it does on a beach. - 5
Silty loam is a desired soil composition.vivaio di palme image by alberto maisto from Fotolia.com
Silty loam is by far the most desired of all the soils. It holds together in your hand but has enough organic matter to fall apart easily. Silty loam holds nutrients well and delivers water to the roots where it needs to go. - 6
tilled field image by Niki from Fotolia.com
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