Basic Soil Test You Can Do At Home

Curious what kind of soil you have? Do a basic soil test at home to find out what you need to add for optimal plant growth in your space!

Soil science is a fascinating and deeply rooted (no pun intended!) topic for many. Not just farmers and agrarians, but anyone who is concerned about the natural world. Soil is the basis of all life on earth. 

But when we are talking about soil for growing food; there are a few things you need to know:

1. Your soil health and soil type will impact your ability to grow food 
2. Knowing your soil type and soil health will help you in determining what grows best with what you have 
3. You can slowly change some aspects of your soil to fit what you would like to grow– with patience of course 

Farmers will talk about what type of soil they have. This is a basic indication of what particulate matter is found in your soil. To find a general soil type for your area,  you can look at a soil map. But if you live in an urban area, chances are, the soil type and topsoil was removed when they built your house. 

In this case, and for accuracy it is best to start with a basic soil test to find out where to start. 

Basic soil types are: 
Sand 
Loam
Clay 

How to Test Your Soil At Home

It’s very easy to test your soil at home to get an idea what you have. This is how to do it:

The Jar Method - sedimentation test - adapted from https://deepgreenpermaculture.com 

1. Fill jar 1/3 full with dry soil, break up any clumps or clods.
2. Fill the jar with water to about 2.5 cm (1”) below rim.
3. Place the lid on the jar, shake vigorously to mix the soil and water well.
4. Place the jar on level surface, use marker to mark level of soil sediment on side of the jar at the following times:
   

•After 1-2 minutes this is the SAND layer.

•After 1 hour this is the SILT layer.

•After 24 hours (or until the water is relatively clear, may take several days) this is your CLAY layer. Anything left floating is just organic material.

Note, if the water from your water supply is ‘hard water’, use distilled water or rainwater for this test instead. Hard water is high in dissolved minerals, mainly calcium and magnesium, which will affect the soil in the water.

Image from Deep Green Permaculture

The above image is an example of a soil sedimentation test, showing the layering of the various components of the soil, with clay at the top, silt in the middle and sand particles at the bottom of the jar.

For more information or other tests you can do at home, check out this article: https://deepgreenpermaculture.com/2020/07/23/three-simple-soil-tests-to-determine-what-type-of-soil-you-have/

Once you know what is in your soil, you then can make adjustments to help your desired plants grow! 

If you want a more in-depth analysis of your soil you can send it away to be tested. These are the places in Southern Ontario that will test soil:

A&L Labs, London Ontario

Stratford Agri-Analysis, Stratford Ontario 

Guelph - Agriculture & Food lab

Soil is the Foundation of Your Garden

Soil literally is the foundation of your garden and with a basic soil test you can determine what you are dealing with before you put anything in the ground. Try this soil test before starting your garden this year!