DIY Soil Test: How to Test Your Garden Soil in 5 Steps

Soil is one aspect you have to thoroughly consider when starting an organic garden. It’s the primary foundation of any garden, and your plants will heavily rely on it for their growth and development.

In order to grow plants the best way you can, you have to test the soil first. This is to know what it’s made of and what it’s lacking so you can correct it immediately.

Soil is often composed of clay, sand, and silt. If there’s too much clay in the mix, the soil becomes sticky and muddy—making it difficult to drain water. Sand is the opposite of clay—it drains water rapidly and may result to the deficiency of nutrients in the soil.

Silt doesn’t really cause any major problems, but loam is the best of all. It’s a combination of clay, sand, and silt… but with just the right amount of each. Well-balanced loam will keep your plants healthy, provide your garden with better drainage, and even retain water when necessary.

To find out what your current garden soil’s made of, try this simple home soil test below from Fix.com. If you find that your soil isn’t the ideal type, you can always improve it by adding some organic compost and mulch. It’s also a good idea to switch to another spot in your garden that has better soil before you begin planting.

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Image Source: Fix.com