TESTING SOIL TYPES - Two Soil Test You Can Do To Determine What Soil Type You Have

Summary

This video tutorial introduces viewers to the concept of soil texture and its importance for gardening. It outlines two methods to determine soil composition: a quick test using hand manipulation to assess soil's ability to form a ball and a ribbon, indicating the presence of sand, silt, or clay; and a more detailed jar test that involves settling soil particles in water to visually differentiate layers of sand, silt, and clay. The video promises an infographic and a calculator tool for further assistance, encouraging viewers to engage with the content and subscribe for more gardening tips.

Takeaways

• 🌱 Soil texture is a classification that helps determine the percentage of clay, silt, and sand in the soil, which is crucial for understanding soil fertility.
• 💧 A well-balanced soil type, known as loam, retains nutrients and water effectively while allowing excess water to drain, ideally composed of 40% sand, 40% silt, and 20% clay.
• 🔍 The video introduces two methods to determine soil texture: a quick test using basic manipulation and a more detailed jar test for a more accurate analysis.
• 🤲 The quick test involves feeling the soil's texture when wet and trying to form a ribbon from it; the length of the ribbon indicates the soil's clay content.
• 🗑️ The jar test requires a cylindrical jar, water, and soil samples from the garden, which are mixed and left to settle to observe the分层 of different soil particles.
• 🕒 The settling process in the jar test takes time, with sand settling first, followed by silt, and finally clay, which takes the longest due to its smallest particle size.
• 📏 The height of the layers in the jar test can be measured to determine the percentage of sand, silt, and clay in the soil, providing a quantitative assessment of soil texture.
• 🌟 The video provides an infographic and a calculator in the description to help viewers interpret their soil texture results and understand their soil better.
• 🛠️ Amending soil involves adjusting its texture to improve fertility, which can be guided by the results from the soil texture tests described in the video.
• 🌿 The host shares their personal experience with soil amendment and invites viewers to comment on the results, fostering a community of gardeners exchanging tips and experiences.

Q & A

What is soil texture?

Soil texture is a classification that helps you understand the percentage of clay, silt, and sand in your soil. It's important for determining the fertility and water retention capabilities of the soil.

Why is loam considered a good soil type?

Loam is considered a good soil type because it retains nutrients and water well while still allowing excess water to drain away, making it ideal for plant growth.

What is the ideal composition of a loam soil?

The ideal composition of loam soil is 40% sand, 40% silt, and 20% clay.

How can you perform a simple soil texture test without any tools?

You can perform a simple soil texture test by collecting soil samples, wetting them, and kneading until it feels like play-doh. Then, roll it into a ball to see how easily it forms and holds its shape.

What does the feel of the soil in your hand indicate during the texture test?

The feel of the soil in your hand can indicate the presence of stone particles and whether it feels like sugar, sand, or flour, which helps in determining the soil texture.

How does the ribbon test help in determining soil texture?

The ribbon test involves rolling wet soil into a ribbon and letting it fall from your hand. The length of the ribbon before it breaks indicates the soil's texture, with a shorter ribbon suggesting more clay content.

What is the jar soil test and how does it work?

The jar soil test is a method where you mix soil with water in a cylindrical jar, shake it, and let it settle. The layers that form after settling indicate the soil's composition, with sand at the bottom and clay at the top.

How long does it usually take for the soil layers to settle in the jar test?

It usually takes a few seconds for the sand layer to settle, an hour for the silt layer, and overnight for the clay layer to settle completely.

How can you determine the percentage of each soil particle in the jar test?

You can determine the percentage of each soil particle in the jar test by measuring the height of each layer and dividing it by the total height of the layers combined.

What are some ways to improve soil texture if it's not ideal?

Improving soil texture can involve adding organic matter, such as compost, to increase fertility, or amending with sand or clay to adjust the balance of soil particles.

What is the purpose of the infographic mentioned in the script?

The infographic is meant to guide viewers in determining their soil texture based on the observations and tests conducted, helping them understand and potentially amend their soil for better gardening results.

Outlines

00:00

🌱 Understanding Soil Texture for Gardening

This paragraph introduces the concept of soil texture, emphasizing its importance for garden fertility. It explains that soil texture is a classification system that helps gardeners understand the proportion of clay, silt, and sand in their soil. The ideal soil type mentioned is loam, which is a balanced mix of sand, silt, and clay particles, and is known for its ability to retain nutrients and water while allowing excess water to drain. The paragraph outlines two methods for determining soil texture: a quick test using only the gardener's hands and a more accurate test using a jar. The quick test involves collecting soil samples, wetting and kneading them, and observing their behavior when rolled into a ball and when made into a ribbon. The paragraph concludes with an invitation to watch the video for a demonstration of the more accurate jar test.

05:00

📹 Engaging with Gardening Content

The second paragraph serves as a call to action for viewers to engage with the content. It invites viewers to leave comments if they wish to learn more about gardening, encourages them to subscribe for more informative videos, and prompts them to like the video if they found it helpful. The speaker also sets an expectation for the next video by announcing that it will be released the following Thursday, continuing the theme of gardening.

Keywords

💡Soil Texture

Soil texture refers to the classification of soil based on the proportion of its particle sizes, which include clay, silt, and sand. In the video, understanding soil texture is crucial for gardeners as it determines how well the soil retains nutrients and water, and allows for proper drainage. The video emphasizes the ideal soil texture for a fertile garden, which is loam, composed of 40% sand, 40% silt, and 20% clay.

💡Clay

Clay is a type of soil particle that is very fine and tends to be sticky when wet. In the video, the presenter demonstrates how to identify clay by its ability to form a ball and create a ribbon when wet. The presence of clay is significant as it affects the soil's water retention and drainage capabilities.

💡Silt

Silt is a soil particle that is larger than clay but smaller than sand. It is described in the video as contributing to the soil's ability to form a ball and as being smooth to the touch. Silt is important for soil fertility as it helps in water retention and nutrient absorption.

💡Sand

Sand is the largest of the soil particles and is characterized by its gritty texture. The video script mentions that sandy soil can form a ball but may not hold together as well as soil with the right amount of silt and clay. Sand is significant because it affects the soil's drainage and aeration.

💡Loam

Loam is a fertile soil type that is a mixture of sand, silt, and clay in roughly equal parts. The video describes an ideal loam composition as 40% sand, 40% silt, and 20% clay. Loam is valued in gardening because it provides a good balance of water retention, drainage, and nutrient holding capacity.

💡Soil Sample

A soil sample is a portion of soil collected for analysis or testing. In the video, the presenter collects soil samples from different areas of the garden to demonstrate how to determine soil texture. The samples are used to perform tests that reveal the soil's composition and texture.

💡Ribbon Test

The ribbon test is a method described in the video to determine soil texture by rolling wet soil into a thin, ribbon-like shape and observing how it breaks. The length of the ribbon before it breaks provides clues about the soil's composition, with shorter ribbons indicating more clay.

💡Jar Test

The jar test is another method introduced in the video for determining soil texture. It involves mixing soil with water in a jar, allowing the particles to settle, and observing the layers that form. The layers represent different soil particles, with sand at the bottom and clay at the top, providing a visual assessment of the soil's composition.

💡Organic Material

Organic material in the video refers to decomposed plant and animal matter that enriches the soil. It is mentioned in the context of the jar test, where the top layer of the settled soil in the jar is composed of organic material. This layer is significant as it contributes to soil fertility and structure.

💡Aeration

Aeration relates to the presence of air in the soil, which is important for root growth and oxygen supply. The video indirectly touches on aeration when discussing the importance of soil texture, as the right balance of sand, silt, and clay affects how much air the soil can hold.

💡Drainage

Drainage is the ability of the soil to remove excess water. The video emphasizes the importance of good drainage for plant health, and soil texture plays a key role in this. The jar test and ribbon test help gardeners understand how well their soil will drain, which is crucial for preventing waterlogged conditions that can harm plants.

Highlights

Soil texture is a classification that helps determine the percentage of clay, silt, and sand in soil.

Loam soil is considered ideal for gardening as it retains nutrients and water well.

A good loam soil composition ideally consists of 40% sand, 40% silt, and 20% clay.

The fastest soil texture test can be done without any tools in the garden.

To test soil texture, wet the soil and knead it until it feels like play-doh, then roll it into a ball.

Sandy soil can form a ball, but the presence of silt and clay makes the ball formation easier.

The second part of the test involves wetting a small amount of soil in the palm of your hand.

Feeling the soil particles can give clues about the soil texture, such as sugar, sand, or flour.

Making a ribbon from the soil and observing its breaking point can indicate soil texture.

A shorter ribbon indicates a higher clay content in the soil.

An infographic is provided in the description to help determine soil texture based on observations.

The jar soil test is a more accurate method that requires a cylindrical jar, water, and soil from the garden.

The jar test involves mixing soil with water and observing the settling of different soil particles.

Layers in the jar test indicate the presence of sand, silt, and clay in the soil.

Measuring the height of each layer in the jar can help determine the percentage of each soil particle.

A simple calculator is provided to help with the calculations of soil texture from the jar test.

Before and after shots of soil texture are shared to show the effectiveness of soil amendment.

The video encourages viewers to subscribe for more gardening information and to like the video.

The video promises another informative video about gardening in the next week.

Transcripts

in this video I will explain you what

soil texture is and how you can

determine soil texture in the garden so

stick around to see two simple methods

that will let you know what type of soil

you have so let's get started to make it

short soil texture is a soil

classification to make you know what

percentage of clay silt and sand you

have in your soil and to have a good

fertile soil you need to have long as a

soil type this type of soil is good

because it retains nutrients and water

well while still allowing excess water

to drain away the soil texture of loam

is composed mostly by scent and seal

particles in a little bit of clay

ideally you would like to have 40

percent of scent 40 percent of silt and

20 percent of clay and how do you know

what you have and how to amend it I will

tell you right away

first I will tell you the fastest test

that you can do without any tool in your

garden but if you want to do a more

accurate test follow me until the end to

see it in action

you begin by collecting some soil

samples from your garden

I collected three soil types to better

show you the difference

the first sample was from the compost

pile I used to mint my clay soil as you

can see it's fluffy and loose and it has

some small rocks inside your first step

is to wet your soil if it's not already

wet and knead it until it feels like

play-doh then rolled into a ball if the

soil is sandy the ball can be formed but

if the soil has the right amount of silt

and clay the ball can be easily formed

as you can see all my three types of

soil perform almost the same

next you take a small amount of soil and

wet it in the palm of your hand the

second sample for my test was from the

topsoil as you can see the soil is

almost silk smooth from digging the soil

up also the soil is stickier to the

touch when you're dissolving the soil in

your hand fill for stone particles does

it feel like sugar sand or flour try to

remember all these feelings and

observations that you have the first

part of the test is to make a ribbon

from the soil read it into a bowl

my last sample was from 2 feet under the

topsoil I know that there is a clay

layer there as you can see the soil is

looking like a piece of metal it's

sticky and gray so we're needing the

soil in your hand try to make a ribbon

out of it and let it fall from your hand

when you see that the soil is breaking

let it the length of the ribbon will

tell you the third clue in determining

your soil texture the shorter the ribbon

the more center is as you can see from

my clay soil test the ribbon didn't even

break

and now that you have all the clues you

can determine what soil type you have I

will leave you an infographic in the

description so you can follow it and

determine your soil texture

so let's go to the second test to

determine your soil texture that takes

more time but in my opinion is simple to

make and can give you a great result

maybe already heard about it the jar

soil test

all you need is a cylindrical jar and

some water and of course the soil from

your garden

the first step is to dig a good amount

of soil from your garden

preferably from a few different spots

and mix it together then add the soil to

the jar and fill it with water but leave

an inter soft air inside

now mix the Jarvik ously so all the soil

didn't mix well and then let it sit so

the soil parts can settle down the same

that has the biggest particles and thus

is the heavier falls first usually it

takes a few seconds to see the sand

layer after an hour so the sills their

peers because it's lighter than sin but

heavier than clay clay usually takes

longer so let it overnight to settle the

next day my jar had five layers the top

layer is the organic material floating

on the top of the water solution layer

at the bottom are the three most

important layers in determining your

soil texture from the top is the clay

then silt and sand layer to know what

percentage of each you have you simply

measure the head of the one and divide

by the head of the free combined or you

can use a simple calculator that I will

leave in the description down below here

are some before and after shots of my

soil texture what do you think did I

made a good job in amending my soil

leave me a comment down below to let me

know if you want to know more about

gardening make sure to subscribe and if

you liked the video press the like

button like always I will see you next

Thursday with another informative video

about gardening see you next week