Soil Type, Structure, and Soil Testing

Knowing your soil is critical for selecting the right plants for your landscape.

Soil type determines the amount of air, water, and minerals held in the soil, available for plant uptake.  Plants are naturally adapted to specific soil types.

Soil tests are available for determining pH (acidic or alkaline), amount of macro and micro plant nutrient elements, organic matter, and soil texture.  Again, many plants have specific requirements. 

Adding organic matter, compost, to soil is always recommended.  Organic matter is a source of nutrients (especially nitrogen), and microorganisms.  Organic matter contributes to soil aggregation in clay soils for air accumulation and water drainage, and in sandy soils for better water and nutrient retention.

Identifying Soil Type and Soil Testing in the United States 

USDA Soil Survey can be used to identify the native soil type of your area.  The survey is available at  https://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/   I initially found the app a bit confusing.

https://travis-tx.tamu.edu/about-2/horticulture/soils-and-composting-for-austin/web-soil-survey-map-explorer/ provides a step-by-step example that makes defining the Area of Interest a bit easier and explains the levels of information available on the site.   Worth the effort. 

University Extension Offices offer a variety of services to the public often including fee-based soil testing with information on how to collect samples.  Find local extension office listed by state at https://www.uaex.uada.edu/about-extension/united-states-extension-offices.aspx 

Soil Structure (an at home test)
Soil Texture can be tested at home.  A simple guide including how to collect samples for testing and a printable soil texture pyramid for plotting and determining your soil texture can be found at https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/soil-texture-analysis-the-jar-test/ .