The next step in understanding my soil is to determine soil texture and stone content. This involves taking a sample, picking out the visible stones and estimating the percentage of stone in the sample. For my garden site there were no visible stones in the sample and very few in the hole I dug (see yesterdays pictures.)
I estimated the percentage to be between 1% and 5% because I know that there are a few small stones in this soil they just didn't show in my sample.
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| Initial soil sample |
The next step involved drying the soil which I did in a low temp oven.
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| oven dried soil |
I then spread the sample on parchment paper and finger crushed it, checking for stones as I went.
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| finger crushed sample |
Next, I covered the sample with another piece of parchment paper and used a rolling pin to crush it finely.
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| rolled sample |
I poured this through the sieve and recrushed the remnant that wouldn't pass. That was also poured through the sieve until no more would crush.
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| remaining stones |
The sample that passed through the sieve was placed in my prepared bottle filling to the 3 cm mark.
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| 3 cm crushed soil sample |
Water was added to the 13 cm mark and 1 teaspoon of salt. Everything was shaken to mix.
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| water and salt added |
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| shaken |
Now we wait. Shaking twice a day for the next three day.
1 comment:
We had to wait three days, shaking twice a day, before we let the soil sample settle and hopefully see some layers. Tomorrow I let it sit.
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