Soil testing Volcano Dreaming Panel 4

Soil observation Place some soil between your thumb and forefinger Manipulate the soil to feel the texture The soil texture is: o grainy if the soil is made up of large-sized pieces and feels gritty, like sand o silky if the soil is made of medium-sized pieces and feels powdery, like silt o sticky if the soil is made of small pieces and feels gummy, like wet clay

Soil texture The look and feel of soil is soil texture It is determined by the size and types of particles that make up the soil

Soil texture Gravel - particles greater than 2 mm in diameter Coarse sand - particles less than 2 mm and greater than 0.2 mm in diameter Fine sand - particles between 0.2 mm and 0.02 mm in diameter Silt - particles between 0.02 mm and mm in diameter Clay - particles less than mm in diameter Loam is a soil composed mostly of sand and silt, and a smaller amount of clay

Soil texture

Sandy soils: Particles are LARGE therefore have a small surface area Easily drains Poor ability to retain moisture Silty soils: Limited surface area May compact under heavy traffic Poor air and water movement Clay soils: Particles are SMALL therefore have a large surface area High ability to retain moisture (this water can be difficult for plants to use)

The Soil Texture Triangle gives names associated with the various combinations of sand, silt and clay.

Soil texture by Feel Key Place some soil, about the size of an egg in your palm Spray with water to moisten it, and knead the soil until it feels moist like putty Depending on what happens, follow the key until you determine the soil texture

Soil salinity (EC) Soil salinity or electrical conductivity is the amount of soluble salt present in a soil sample Soils which contain too much salt cannot support plant growth

Soil pH Soil pH is the measure of how acidic or alkaline a soil sample Nutrients found in the soil are influenced by soil pH pH is measured on a scale of 1 to 14