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Good video on How to assess your soil
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Posted by
rosiew 7 GA (
rosemarywalsh@bellsouth.net) on
Mon, Apr 4, 11 at 7:33
| Just watched this and want to share. Good clear instructions and timelines for the soil in jar/mix with water method.
http://www.dailycamera.com/home-garden |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Good video on How to assess your soil
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Here is a link that might be useful: Soil Test
RE: Good video on How to assess your soil
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Kind of what i have been telling peole to do for many years here.
1) Soil test for organic matter. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. For example, a good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top. 2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains� too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up. 3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart. 4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer your soil will smell. 5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy. |
RE: Good video on How to assess your soil
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Oops
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RE: Good video on How to assess your soil
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| You do not need to use any water softener, soap, defloculator, or any other type of synthetic material, made from non renewable resources to see the dispersing of the soil particles. I have never done that in the many years I have used this test and have not seen any problem with not using that stuff. If there is no need, why do it? |
Assessment
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| Often wrong, never in doubt. |
RE: Good video on How to assess your soil
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You may think you're getting accurate results but if you don't disperse the clay particles your results will be skewed.
I encourage you to do three things:
1) Please do re-read the explanations that piedmontnc and I provide in the thread that I linked to.
2) Collect a sample from your yard, blend until homongeneous and split it into two equal samples. Perform your test on one half and send the other to a lab for particle size analysis and compare.
3) Stop spreading misinformation based on stubborn willful ignorance. |
RE: 3) Stop spreading misinformation based on stubborn willful ig
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| Gargawarb, would you expand on this please. Is it me you think is spreading misinformation. Ooooh, my bad. |
RE: Good video on How to assess your soil
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No Rosiew,
The video you posted is spot-on and demonstrates the correct way to do the test.
Kimmsr strongly and repeatedly recommends that people do not add a deffloculating agent (in the case of your video, it's dish washing detergent) which is, of course, a critical step to get accurate results.
Giving people misinformation due to willful ignorance isn't just limited to texture in his case. It's how he rolls.
I try to point this out when I have the energy for it since he has just enough of the lingo memorized that to he falls firmly into the "knows just enough to be dangerous" category and if someone who doesn't know any better follows his advice, it can often lead to costly mistakes. |
RE: Good video on How to assess your soil
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| Of course, he's quite endearing, though. |
RE: Good video on How to assess your soil
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| I suppose you're right in a way. |
RE: Good video on How to assess your soil
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| He is enduring and a bit endearing. The problem as I see it is that he is so obsessed perhaps with "unrenewable resources" that things get a bit skewed. |
RE: Good video on How to assess your soil
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| I love his thick skin and his persistence. I'm quite fond of him. |
RE: Good video on How to assess your soil
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| Don't forget his sense of humor! I taught soil science for years and know for certain that anti-flocculants are essential to this test. In lieu of dish washer detergent, you can use plain Calgon or washing soda. This has been pointed out to Kimmsr for years, by the way. |
RE: Good video on How to assess your soil
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| I just worked a crypt-a-quote that may be applicable here....."There is only one thing worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about."...Oscar Wilde |
RE: Good video on How to assess your soil
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| (While he's not here, let's talk about him.) Have you not got to admire his stance on the environment? No matter how you lean? I do. If you believe in something, and feel that that something is for the betterment of anything---mankind, the earth, whatever, do you not admire that someone cares to stand up for it? Of course, other than the earthworm thing and the soil test thing (I LOVE!!! the quirkiness that makes him repost that and repost it and repost it and repost it....), I often agree with him, so that makes me biased, I suppose. But mostly, I like that no matter how much he's attacked, he comes here, he spreads a message he believes in, no matter how much he comes under attack. It's almost like his soil test thing is as crucial a message to send, as mine about bread and the proven planaria connection. I think there is plenty of room on this forum for people of refined sensibilities, don't you, Kim? |
RE: Good video on How to assess your soil
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Try this. Take two 1 quart jars and put the same amount of the same soil sample in each. To one of the jars add something to aid in dispertion (detergent, deflocculant) and do not put any in trhe other jar. Then add the water, shake, and allow to settle, and look at the results. There will not be enough difference between the two to be significant.
Annpat, I look at my mission in life to teach people with wrong ideas no matter how much they do not want to learn. :-) Forums are for discussion of ideas and we should be able to disagree without being disagreeable. |
RE: Good video on How to assess your soil
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| But... it's not just what one says, it's also how one says it. Attitude comes thru. There's a wealth of information here, and I think most of us share and learn good things, I know I have over the years. I often refer people here from other forums when they have soil questions. I sense a fear of this forum though, people reluctant to visit because, well, it has a reputation of being...tough? mean? Take annpat for instance. If not for her I might never have known about planaria. Karen |
Bone of contention
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| "Annpat, I look at my mission in life to teach people with wrong ideas..." Indeed a lifetime's work. |
RE: Good video on How to assess your soil
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| "Forums are for discussion of ideas and we should be able to disagree without being disagreeable." It's true, Kim. I have never seen you be disagreeable. Persistent, but never disagreeable. Karen, it's a pretty popular forum, though. The bee forum is deadly dull. |
RE: Good video on How to assess your soil
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| No stinging retorts on the bee forum? The cacti forum has some good points. And, to a lesser extent, so does the bromeliad forum. ;-) As for Kim, I'm reminded of what my brother once said of his kids after a tough day with them..."You wanna love 'em, but you can't". tj |
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