Instructions: Place the jar on a flat surface and let it sit undisturbed for 24 hours. During this time, the soil will separate into layers: sand at the bottom, followed by silt, and clay on top.

Your landscape's soil composition greatly affects the success of your plants and gardens. Shari Petrucci from the Western Mass Master Gardener Association showed us how to test our soil texture.

Dig beneath the top layer of organic matter down to the mineral soil, about 6 to 8 inches depending on how much mulch you use. Scoop out a handful of moist soil and knead it into a ball. Add water ...

A new article details methods of determining a soil's texture by feel, an important skill for students of soil science. Soil texture strongly influences the nutrient holding ability of a soil, the ...

Dirt is what is on the bottom of your shoes. Soil is a conglomeration of minerals, water, air, organic matter and living ...

Color Analysis Rapidly Predicts Carbon Content Of Soil Date: March 13, 2007 Source: American Society of Agronomy Summary: Soil color can be used as a simple, inexpensive method to predict ...

Good gardeners know a good layer of mulch is good for the garden. For proof of mulch’s value, just examine the forest floor, perhaps the healthiest place on Earth. It’s made up of layer upon ...

It’s a simple equation: If you want to grow better plants, you first need to understand the soil. “The texture of a soil is its proportion of sand, silt and clay,” said James Cassidy, a ...