How to test your soil - texture (sand, silt, clay composition)

Soil texture is the description of the composition of the soil in relation to sand, silt and clay. Sand being the coarsest fraction and clay being the finest fraction.

The soil texturing is one of the most important assessments you can conduct on your soil as is allows you to relate general soil properties such as
• Soil water infiltration, retention and plant availabliity
• Soil structure- development and stability
• Nutrient retention and plant availablilty
• Erodibility to wind and water
• Drainage characteristics

There are two ways to determine soil texture.

The first is to send a soil sample away to an accredited laboratory for a Soil particle analysis to determine the exact sand silt and clay proportions.

The second is the hand texturing, which Central West Local Land Services Croppnig Officer Neroli Brennan demonstrates in this video.

METHOD

1. Take a handful of soil (remove anything larger than 2mm), and if dry, add water until soil comes together to form a ball.

2. Knead the soil between your thumb and your forefinger ensuring that the soil is completely mixed and no large lumps are present, this should take 1-3min.

3. By pushing the soil between the thumb and forefinger you should be able to form a ribbon of soil which will allow you to feel the soil constituents and the length of the ribbon helps in assessing the clay content of the soil.

SAND - feels gritty and hard to the touch, held to the ear you can also hear the sand

SILT - feels smooth, silky, even soapy but with little stickiness

CLAY - feels smooth and sticky

Once you are aware of the soil texture you are managing it will help you to decide what types of enterprises or activities your soil is suited to, the types of plants you can grow and the management issues you need to monitor for long term production.