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Determining Soil Texture by Feel
Elizabeth Newell
Why does soil texture matter?
• Varies across the U.S.• Depends on topography and climate• Different soil types support specific
crops better• Soil can be separated into three
categories: sand, silt, and clay• Loam is a combination
http://soils.usda.gov/technical/aids/investigations/texture/
Sand
• Coarse• Highly erodible• Often found near fast
moving water and dry, windy areas
• When moist a finger- print is not visible
• Difficult to form a ribbon
Silt
• Smooth, fine texture• “Fine grained” soil• Finer than sand• Heavier than clay• When moist faint fingerprint is visible• Found by slow moving water and lakes• Ribbon length < 5 cm
Clay
• Smooth texture when dry• Finer than silt• Sticky, stains when wet• “Fine grained” soil• When moist fingerprint is visible• Ribbon length > 5 cm• Often found by slow moving
water and lakes
Step One• Wet a handful of soil• Form into a ball• Does ball maintain shape after rolling?– Yes = move to step two – No = sand
Step Two
• Bounce the ball in your hand • Did it break?– Yes = loamy sand– No = silt or clay
• Press your finger into the soil– Distinct fingerprint = clay– Faint fingerprint = silt
Step Three
• Form a ribbon of soil between your forefinger and thumb
• Ribbon length:– < 2.5 cm = loam– 2.5 to 5 cm = clay loam– > 5 cm = clay
• Longer ribbon = greater clay content
Step Four
• Work the soil next to your ear to listen for modifiers
• Gritty sound = sandy– Sandy loam– Sandy clay loam– Sandy clay
• Smooth sound = silt– Silt loam– Silty clay loam– Silty clay
Conclusion
• Knowing how to determine soil texture will aid in land management practices
• Enables you to select the best plants for the soil type found in your field or garden