How to determine the type and quality of a soil sample?
How to determine the type and quality of a soil sample?
With Hands and Eyes
A simple test looks like this: Take a handful of slightly moist soil and roll it into a ball. This is then changed into an elongated roll. If the soil is light and sandy, you will notice a grainy, crumbly soil structure that is difficult or impossible to form into a roll. Silt is floury and soft, it hardly binds. Heavy, loamy soil is smooth to sticky and rolls easily.
Separating the components
The following test provides information on the more precise distribution of soil components:
Place one-third sifted or broken soil of the soil sample in a jar, fill it with water, and shake vigorously until all components have dissolved in the water. Then leave for 1-3 days until the components are deposited in three layers: sand and stones are found at the bottom, silt in the middle and clay at the top. With a little luck, the result can be read like a graph.
Determining the pH value
A simple pH-value test from household goods also allows important conclusions to be drawn about the quality of the soil. To do this, mix water with baking soda in one cup/glass and pour vinegar into the other glass. If the baking soda mixture reacts with hissing and bubbling, the soil is acidic, if the vinegar reacts, it is alkaline. If the reaction is the same, it is neutral.
With the nose
And other senses also help to assess soil properties: If a handful of moist soil smells sweet and earthy it suggests good bacterial activity. If it smells sour or putrid, unfavorable bacteria are present.
Black on white
Laboratories also offer inexpensive samples – whether for nutrient content or composition; if you want to know exactly, you can't avoid professional providers.
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