SiLOSSiLOS

The jar test that reveals your soil

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jar of dirt

1Running the test

Sift the soil through a sieve or old colander to remove rocks and roots, fill a straight-sided clear jar a third full of that soil, top it with water leaving room at the top, cap it and shake until it's a uniform slurry. Then it's just waiting: mark the sand line at 1 minute, the silt line at 2 hours, and the clay line at 48 hours.

2Why texture is the number that matters

Texture — the ratio of sand, silt and clay — controls how much air and water the soil holds, which in turn controls almost everything else about how easy a spot is to garden. Most real-world soil isn't a balanced loam and needs organic matter added to correct whichever way it leans.

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3The first hour

The active part takes ten minutes: sieving, filling and shaking the jar. Everything after that is just checking back at three set times over two days — set a phone reminder rather than trying to remember.

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