how to judge type of soil?

[Anonymous]

For a new gardener, how would you recommend I judge what kind of soil I have?

[Anonymous]

I know that if it sticks together in a ball if you roll up a handful, it's got a lot of clay in it. You can get soil testing kits pretty easily. Ag extension offices have loads of info on this, including for home gardeners, lawns, etc, and they aren't trying to sell you anything.

[Anonymous]

I would take several samples of soil from the areas you plan to plant, and send them to be tested at an extension service.

[Anonymous]

+1, soil test from an extension.

If you’re around here, you probably have clay soil. Which is good! It holds water and it’s very fertile. But it’s hard to dig and plants that like good drainage can rot. A good general rule is to add as much organic material (leaf-gro compost is a great produce made from local yard waste) as your back will allow. Dig it into the top layer of soil or just leave it on the top and let the worms work on it. You don’t need to add additional fertilizer unless you have a really hungry plant (like roses or tomatoes). In fact for most perennial flowers, adding fertilizer to our soil makes it more likely they will flop over.

[Anonymous]

We sent soil samples to Virginia tech. I forget where I got the test though. It was only like $20

[Anonymous]

Short of testing, which is excellent but most beginners don't bother with, A few low tech ways to judge the soil include;

-the ball test a poster above mentioned to see it if to too much clay
- just look at it and see if it has a lot of organic material or not
- drainage test: dig a hole about 12 inches deep and wide, fill it with water, let it drain over night; fill it again the next day and see how long it takes to drain (stick a ruler in there and check the level every hour -- great experiment if you have bored kids). Ideal is 2" per hour. 1" or slower and your roots will rot -- incorporate lots of organic matter into the soil. Faster than 3" per hour and your plants will be parched, so add organic matter and some clay soil.

- weed watcher: the kinds of native weeds that grow in a spot can tell you a lot about the growing conditions. ID your weeds and Google them to see what the weeds are telling you. https://www.permaculturenews.org/2017/04/14/using-weeds-read-soil-basic-concepts-get-started/

[Anonymous]

Op here - thank you all, this is exactly what I needed!

[Anonymous]

Add to the above and other fun one with kids is the mason jar test:

1. Dig up a sample of soil from the area where you are planting -- get samples from different spots in the bed and mix them together.

2. Put a cup of soil in a jar and add water to almost the top.

3. Shake it up well.

4. Let is sit for several hours until the water is at the top and clear again.

5. Observe. The soil will have separated into layers of clay, silt and sand (top to bottom). You can measure them relative to each other and get your general percentages. https://preparednessmama.com/jar-soil-test/

[Anonymous]

Also, to observe the soil horizon -- the levels and layers as they are in your soil (like how deep is your top soil and how far down is your clay layer) -- you can dig out an intact clump of soil about two feet down or as far as you reasonably can and try to remove it with out disturbing it. Then look at it and see you have obvious layers of different kinds of soils (and if you have an extraordinarily high water table and the hole fills with water spontaneously).

https://www.123rf.com/photo_134081851_stock-vector-soil-layers-diagram-for-layer-of-soil-soil-layer-scheme-with-grass-and-roots-earth-texture-and-stone.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:+1, soil test from an extension.

If you’re around here, you probably have clay soil. Which is good! It holds water and it’s very fertile. But it’s hard to dig and plants that like good drainage can rot. A good general rule is to add as much organic material (leaf-gro compost is a great produce made from local yard waste) as your back will allow. Dig it into the top layer of soil or just leave it on the top and let the worms work on it. You don’t need to add additional fertilizer unless you have a really hungry plant (like roses or tomatoes). In fact for most perennial flowers, adding fertilizer to our soil makes it more likely they will flop over.

Almost no one in the DC metro area has clay. Its predominantly silt loam. Just because its reddish and compact does not make it clay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:+1, soil test from an extension.

If you’re around here, you probably have clay soil. Which is good! It holds water and it’s very fertile. But it’s hard to dig and plants that like good drainage can rot. A good general rule is to add as much organic material (leaf-gro compost is a great produce made from local yard waste) as your back will allow. Dig it into the top layer of soil or just leave it on the top and let the worms work on it. You don’t need to add additional fertilizer unless you have a really hungry plant (like roses or tomatoes). In fact for most perennial flowers, adding fertilizer to our soil makes it more likely they will flop over.

Almost no one in the DC metro area has clay. Its predominantly silt loam. Just because its reddish and compact does not make it clay.

NP here - check this tool
https://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:+1, soil test from an extension.

If you’re around here, you probably have clay soil. Which is good! It holds water and it’s very fertile. But it’s hard to dig and plants that like good drainage can rot. A good general rule is to add as much organic material (leaf-gro compost is a great produce made from local yard waste) as your back will allow. Dig it into the top layer of soil or just leave it on the top and let the worms work on it. You don’t need to add additional fertilizer unless you have a really hungry plant (like roses or tomatoes). In fact for most perennial flowers, adding fertilizer to our soil makes it more likely they will flop over.

Almost no one in the DC metro area has clay. Its predominantly silt loam. Just because its reddish and compact does not make it clay.

NP here - check this tool
https://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/

Yes. And it shows predominantly silt loam in the area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:+1, soil test from an extension.

If you’re around here, you probably have clay soil. Which is good! It holds water and it’s very fertile. But it’s hard to dig and plants that like good drainage can rot. A good general rule is to add as much organic material (leaf-gro compost is a great produce made from local yard waste) as your back will allow. Dig it into the top layer of soil or just leave it on the top and let the worms work on it. You don’t need to add additional fertilizer unless you have a really hungry plant (like roses or tomatoes). In fact for most perennial flowers, adding fertilizer to our soil makes it more likely they will flop over.

Almost no one in the DC metro area has clay. Its predominantly silt loam. Just because its reddish and compact does not make it clay.

NP here - check this tool
https://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/

Yes. And it shows predominantly silt loam in the area.

There is plenty of clay around here. One side of my yard has clay. I can make a sausage long enough to make a ring. I make pottery, and it's definitely clay. I've thought about trying to throw it on the wheel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:+1, soil test from an extension.

If you’re around here, you probably have clay soil. Which is good! It holds water and it’s very fertile. But it’s hard to dig and plants that like good drainage can rot. A good general rule is to add as much organic material (leaf-gro compost is a great produce made from local yard waste) as your back will allow. Dig it into the top layer of soil or just leave it on the top and let the worms work on it. You don’t need to add additional fertilizer unless you have a really hungry plant (like roses or tomatoes). In fact for most perennial flowers, adding fertilizer to our soil makes it more likely they will flop over.

Almost no one in the DC metro area has clay. Its predominantly silt loam. Just because its reddish and compact does not make it clay.

NP here - check this tool
https://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/

Yes. And it shows predominantly silt loam in the area.

There is plenty of clay around here. One side of my yard has clay. I can make a sausage long enough to make a ring. I make pottery, and it's definitely clay. I've thought about trying to throw it on the wheel.

Its not that clay doesnt exist in the DC Metro area, but it is fairly rare. What most people assume is clay is a silt loam, weathered from the large gneiss and schist formations common in the area. Check the tool a PP linked to. More likely than not, its silt loam.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:+1, soil test from an extension.

If you’re around here, you probably have clay soil. Which is good! It holds water and it’s very fertile. But it’s hard to dig and plants that like good drainage can rot. A good general rule is to add as much organic material (leaf-gro compost is a great produce made from local yard waste) as your back will allow. Dig it into the top layer of soil or just leave it on the top and let the worms work on it. You don’t need to add additional fertilizer unless you have a really hungry plant (like roses or tomatoes). In fact for most perennial flowers, adding fertilizer to our soil makes it more likely they will flop over.

Almost no one in the DC metro area has clay. Its predominantly silt loam. Just because its reddish and compact does not make it clay.

NP here - check this tool
https://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/

Yes. And it shows predominantly silt loam in the area.

There is plenty of clay around here. One side of my yard has clay. I can make a sausage long enough to make a ring. I make pottery, and it's definitely clay. I've thought about trying to throw it on the wheel.

It depends on where you are. There are plenty of areas that are marine clay

Its not that clay doesnt exist in the DC Metro area, but it is fairly rare. What most people assume is clay is a silt loam, weathered from the large gneiss and schist formations common in the area. Check the tool a PP linked to. More likely than not, its silt loam.