Soil Testing For Beginners
The quantity and quality of what you can grow in your garden is determined by the quality of its soil.
If you want to plant a healthy garden filled with beautiful flowers and good things to eat, then you need fertile, well-drained soil.
You will need to figure out what your soil needs and probably do some work to help it along, but the result will be loamy, fertile ground.
Soil testing is the best way to determine the condition of your soil.
There are many different tests, and each looks for different things.
Many tests you'll be able to do by yourself; others require the special skills and equipment of a laboratory.
Most people think of acidity and nutrients when they think of soil testing.
Those are important qualities, and no study of the soil is complete without knowing if it is acidic or alkaline, and what amount of nitrogen, potash, potassium, magnesium, and calcium your soil contains.
As you study your soil, it's also important to learn about its texture.
Some plants do well in sandy soil, while others prefer soil with more clay.
Look at how the soil drains, as well.
If your garden is boggy and doesn't drain well, you'll need to correct the problem or use water-loving plants.
Finally, gardeners should be concerned with the overall health of the soil.
Their gardens will be home to a large variety of micro organisms.
Some soil tests will analyze the amount of organic matter in the soil and the number and kinds of microbes and other microscopic organisms.
Here are some simple do-it-yourself tests you can do at home without any special equipment; these can help you determine the general texture and drainage qualities of your soil.
The percolation test - To learn how well your soil drains, dig a hole that is about 30 cm.
deep and 15 cm.
wide.
Fill the hole with water, and watch how long it takes the water to drain.
If your hole is empty in less than eight hours, you have good drainage.
If it takes longer to drain, then you have poor drainage.
The watering test - If you're worried that your soil is too dry, use the watering test.
Thoroughly water a spot in your garden, and then wait two days.
Dig a 15-centimeter deep hole in the spot you watered.
If the soil 15 centimetres deep is already dry, then your soil does not hold enough water.
The squeeze test - To determine the composition of your soil, try the squeeze test.
Two days after a good rain, squeeze a small handful of soil.
It will either feel slippery, meaning you have high clay content; like wet baby powder, indicating high silt content; or gritty, suggesting sandy soil.
Whilst do-it-yourself tests can provide you with important information, they don't tell you everything you need to know about your soil.
For a more detailed analysis you may need to send a soil sample to a laboratory.
This will enable you to find out what beneficial nutrients are in your soil, and what micro organisms are there to help or hinder your plants' growth.
If you want to plant a healthy garden filled with beautiful flowers and good things to eat, then you need fertile, well-drained soil.
You will need to figure out what your soil needs and probably do some work to help it along, but the result will be loamy, fertile ground.
Soil testing is the best way to determine the condition of your soil.
There are many different tests, and each looks for different things.
Many tests you'll be able to do by yourself; others require the special skills and equipment of a laboratory.
Most people think of acidity and nutrients when they think of soil testing.
Those are important qualities, and no study of the soil is complete without knowing if it is acidic or alkaline, and what amount of nitrogen, potash, potassium, magnesium, and calcium your soil contains.
As you study your soil, it's also important to learn about its texture.
Some plants do well in sandy soil, while others prefer soil with more clay.
Look at how the soil drains, as well.
If your garden is boggy and doesn't drain well, you'll need to correct the problem or use water-loving plants.
Finally, gardeners should be concerned with the overall health of the soil.
Their gardens will be home to a large variety of micro organisms.
Some soil tests will analyze the amount of organic matter in the soil and the number and kinds of microbes and other microscopic organisms.
Here are some simple do-it-yourself tests you can do at home without any special equipment; these can help you determine the general texture and drainage qualities of your soil.
The percolation test - To learn how well your soil drains, dig a hole that is about 30 cm.
deep and 15 cm.
wide.
Fill the hole with water, and watch how long it takes the water to drain.
If your hole is empty in less than eight hours, you have good drainage.
If it takes longer to drain, then you have poor drainage.
The watering test - If you're worried that your soil is too dry, use the watering test.
Thoroughly water a spot in your garden, and then wait two days.
Dig a 15-centimeter deep hole in the spot you watered.
If the soil 15 centimetres deep is already dry, then your soil does not hold enough water.
The squeeze test - To determine the composition of your soil, try the squeeze test.
Two days after a good rain, squeeze a small handful of soil.
It will either feel slippery, meaning you have high clay content; like wet baby powder, indicating high silt content; or gritty, suggesting sandy soil.
Whilst do-it-yourself tests can provide you with important information, they don't tell you everything you need to know about your soil.
For a more detailed analysis you may need to send a soil sample to a laboratory.
This will enable you to find out what beneficial nutrients are in your soil, and what micro organisms are there to help or hinder your plants' growth.
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