Let's Play: What's My Soil?

Bryce: Spectacular yields depend first and foremost on soil. Many people ask me about what kind of soil they have--so I thought I would post a catch-all to answer most of these questions.

If it looks: hard baked, crusty, perhaps even deeply cracked when allowed to dry out...

And it feels: harsh and rock hard when dry, sticky, greasy, or rubbery when wet...

And it is: hard to work, slow to absorb water, forms lumps if worked when wet...

It's: CLAY

And it needs: substantial additions of organic materials to break up the compaction and open channels for aeration and drainage. Use: compost, manure, leaf mold, rice hulls, peat moss, course sand, saw dust, and wood chips.

If it looks: loose and friable, full of mineral particles...

And it feels: grainy and gritty, crumbly and won't hold shape when squeezed...

And it is: easy to work, low in nutrients because nutrients have been leached out...

It's: SANDY

And it needs: large amounts of organic matter to hold water and nutrients within the range of plant roots, green manures to build structure.

If it looks: Very dark brown, full of matter in varying stages of decay...

And it feels: like moist peat moss when squeezed...

And it is: Easy to work, slow to decompose, low in minerals...

It's: MUCK or PEAT

And it needs: layers of gravel or drainage tiles to improve drainage, lime added as needed.

If it looks: full of crumbs of various sizes, quite porous...

And it feels: Spongy, compacting readily into a ball when squeezed, but falling apart readily when prodded...

And it is: easy to work, very productive, well drained yet able to retain moisture...

It's: LOAM

And it needs: regular infusion of organic matter to maintain its already excellent fertility and structure.

What kind of soil do you have? Take a cup of soil and water. Mix them in a glass and let everything settle for several hours. Measure the height of each main component (sand, silt, clay, and organic matter) and divide each by the overall settled column. It may take awhile to get the right kind of soil, but your plants will reward you with a bountiful harvast.