Is your soil sandy, silty, or clay? Well you might know what it is just by looking! but do you know there is a way to tell exactly what your soil composition actually is? In this video I show you how! MIgardener Store: https://www.facebook.com/MIgardener/app_251458316228
Join the fun on facebook @ http://www.facebook.com/MIgardener
+1 me on Google+ @ http://www.google.com/+MIgardener
Pin me on Pinterest @ http://www.pinterest.com/MIgardenerYT
Follow the fun on twitter @ http://www.twitter.com/MI_Gardener
Send mail to:
PO box 131
Marysville, MI 48040
450+ varieties of Heirloom & Non-GMO Vegetable seeds .99/pack, fertilizer, garden tools, blog & More: http://www.MIgardener.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MIgardener
Instagram: http://instagram.com/MIgardener
G+: http://plus.google.com/+MIgardener
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/MIgardenerYT/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/MI_gardener
Tumblr: http://tumblr.com/MIgardener Check out our new clothing line! http:www.freshpickedapparel.com
Good information
I'm moving to a new home. There is no grass at all in the back yard. It looks like every bit of top soil has washed away. For a while I had a guy come out to do lawn service in the front yard, mowing weeding etc. I asked his expert opinion on what's going on in the back yard. He said it's too shady in the back yard. While there can be a huge accumulation of leaves in the fall, most of the trees are in the far back and the area is open to sunshine most of the day. Instead of sand or silt it looks quite rocky with rocks of varying size. Rocks and clay. Aside from sparse scraggily weeds it's mostly moss if anything at all. That could mean acidic soil, but Moss will grow in alkaline soils too, it just prefers acidic. I know that if soils will grow weeds they'll grow just about anything, but this soils isn't even doing the weeds. MI Gardner started with a pint jar (2 cups)which is half of a quart (4 cups) for his testing so I guess that'll do for figuring out exact composition . Somehow I have the feeling I'm going to have to create a way of stopping the topsoil erosion with landscaping.. I have been toying with the idea of simply using raised beds at double height (getting older and bending is harder to do), and not doing anything to the horrible soil that would be in the walkways around the raised beds., except throw some of that free wood mulch on it. While I can get free mulch, I am going to have to pay dearly for compost and top soil even if I order a huge dump truck full. I don't have the kids at home any more except the youngest and we do not produce as much green manure as my other gardens had.I'll have leaves a plenty of leaves, but unless they are mixed with a percentage of green manure there is going to be a problem. If I can get nettles (which doesn't mind wasteland) to grow they can be thrown into a covered bucket of water and allowed to steep for at least 3 weeks and I could use the compost tea and a nice side dressing.The best thing about nettles is that it makes fabulous fresh people tea, and can be eaten like spinach with a tiny bit of margarine (do not use butter it affects the taste) and a teaspoon of sour cream. Cooking takes the sting out! They are a perennial plant and come back every year. Nettles are not a cure all and I could use all the suggestions I can get on how to enrich this pile of rocks. The front has very little top soil as well. and is 35/65 moss with grass. I do want grass and flowers in the front so that's going to mean hauling in the topsoil and seeding. So much work to do…. Good thing I'm retired and will have some time. I want my perennial flower gardens out front.
Wrong, the clay is smaller than sand.
not quite correct, because silt,clay and other materials have different volume in water. your method would be correct if final result is dry, meaning clay-silt measurement would be way lower, compared to sand and bigger particles.
cheers !
Is that supposed to be distilled WATTER?
Clay is the smallest particle.
Talk about inconsistency with your test. Guys over here spreading misinformation like a champ.
Thats NOT 1 quart!! C'mon. Go buy a quart of beer and then you will know forever.
Intuitive…and informative thank you.
Thanks! so helpful as i start my gardening journey!
Sedimentary faction and sedimentary layering.
You just proved evolution and geological time table was proof of a global flood. 😛
Need to do this for my lawn. It's so sad looking
@6:00 water retentive means it holds moisture. Maybe you mean silt is water repellent?
I thought the second layer is silt and the last layer is clay. I read that clay is the finest participial of all.
https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/soil-texture-analysis-the-jar-test/
I had termites-on my tree it was treated and I had the tree removed that was 3 yrs ago. I’m losing all my plants what is causing that?
Always enjoy your videos ! Very informative.
That's a pint jar, homie
I did this test on mine, twice. One layer all clay.
Clay has a smaller particle size than silt.
So how can u determine the ph?
This is incorrect. Sand on bottom, silt in middle, clay on top. Sand is largest, clay is smallest. Is it sorted by weight, or particle size, you say all three.
Clay particles arent bigger then silt particles
Another subscriber sir. Thanks for the info.
Pint jar.
The main information here is helpful. However we are missing something. Clay is by far the smallest particle size and takes at least 10 hours to settle out, Next comes silt, then sand. So bottom line, set the jar overnight so you can actually measure the clay. There may very well have been 10% or 15% clay in that sample.
Fungus and bacteria plays a roll in why plants uptake nutrients. What is the effect of round up on this process ?
You are using a pint jar. Thank you for the information.
That is a pint, not a quart!