How to take a soil test
The most accurate results can be obtained from a comprehensive analysis, which is carried out by specialized laboratories. For what it is only necessary to prepare the material, that is, the soil from your land plot, for analysis, but this must be done correctly, since the degree of accuracy of the results depends to a large extent on this.
The soil sample from the site should be taken before fertilization and liming. In different parts of the land, it is necessary to pits to the depth of the bayonet bayonet or slightly deeper. It is this depth that is necessary for most plants for the free placement and nutrition of the root system, hence, the soil must be comprehensively studied in this area. In total, no less than 15-20 pits should be excavated, which will allow for greater objectivity of the analysis, and thus, from at least 15-20 samples should be taken from 100 m2 of the site. Then, in succession from the wall of each of the pits, you need to scoop the thin layer of earth in a direction from the bottom upwards and put it in a bucket, after which all the samples should be thoroughly mixed in a bucket. At least 1 kg of the resulting soil mixture should be placed in the polyethylene wall of each well of the ground layer in the direction from bottom to top, all samples should be mixed and at least 1 kg of soil should be sent to the
ethylene bag for analysis and closed tightly. Presenting the soil for analysis in the laboratory, indicate the characteristics of your site, location and the main purpose with which you intend to use this land( growing vegetables, fruit crops or anything else).On the basis of the analysis you will be able to determine exactly which nutrients and trace elements the soil needs, what fertilizers should be applied and what measures should be taken to improve the soil composition.
An important aspect in assessing the quality of the soil is its appearance, according to which it is possible to accurately determine the structure, some internal properties and the quality of the soil. One of the most important external features of the soil is its color. If you dig a pit with a depth of at least 1 m, you will get a soil profile, that is, the structure of the soil in a section. On the side wall of the pit one can consistently track the alternation of soil layers and change their color towards the bottom of the pit. The color of the soil is directly related to its characteristics, such as the level of fertility. This is a natural conclusion, since the appearance of the soil and its fertility are determined by numerous factors that have influenced its formation. Dark soils, , are generally characterized by a higher level of fertility, since they represent better conditions for the growth of plants and vital activity of soil microorganisms than light soils. The color of dark soils is due to the increased content of humic soil organic matter in them. It is the humus of good quality, contained in the soil in sufficient quantity, determines the saturated dark color of the soil. However, not only humus provides this or that color of the soil, but also numerous chemical compounds, for example iron oxides, giving the soil brown, reddish, rusty rusty and yellowish shades. On the soil profile at different depths, blue-gray or blue-colored plates may appear, which is a poor characteristic of the soil of the site, since it indicates that there is a constant overmoistening of the soil thickness, which results in ferrous compounds. Such soil will require great efforts for ennobling, but much also depends on the depth of occurrence of blue clay layers.
In addition to special analysis, there are a number of methods for self-analysis of soil. Of course, such methods will not produce a chemically accurate assessment of all soil characteristics at a particular site, but will give an idea of its main parameters and allow us to make the right decision for further processing and fertilizing the soil. This will help the home mini-laboratory, which is a set of reagents and indicators, equipped with a color scale for the comparative analysis of acid-alkaline soil reaction using indicator paper and a detailed description of all possible soil tests. In addition, the soil can be examined visually. This will give you, at least, a fairly clear idea of the structure and composition of the soil. If you make a pit deep in one or two bayonets of the shovel and consider the profile of the cut, then by the color of the successive layers it is possible to approximately determine with which soil you are dealing. Most often, the upper layer is darker than the following, indicating a higher content of organic mass or humus in it. Its thickness may be different, but it is desirable that it is not less than 10-15 cm, that is, the depth at which the plants take root. Peat soils are almost black due to their high content of organic matter. The sand layer of the earth has a yellowish-gray color, the loamy layer is light-brown with various shades, the clay layer can be of different colors - from brown and reddish to whitish.
Soil testing by hand
If you are not quite sure what the composition of the soil on your site is, you can check it in the following way: take a handful of wet but not wet ground and rub it between your fingers.
If the structure of the soil is granular, if it does not stick together and does not roll into balls, before you sandy loam or sandy soil.
ft. If the soil is grainy but slides into a ball or lump, it is a sandy loam.
If the soil has a granular or sticky texture and it is possible to roll sausage between the palms, then you are dealing with with bold sandy loam.
If the resulting sausage is flexible, it can be bent by a ring and it does not break, it is clay. Knowing the structural properties of your soil, you will be able to determine what measures must be taken to improve it.
When investigating the soil manually by , it is not difficult to verify that individual soil particles are completely different from each other. In sandy soils or soils with a high content of sand, the solid particles are coarse and coarse, distinctly felt to the touch. The more the soil is glued together, the smaller, thinner its particles, which indicates the high content of clay in the soil. Good soil has a mixed composition of coarse and fine
particles, which form into small loose lumps. The soil with a high content of humus has a pleasant healthy smell of forest land, prey foliage and grass.
Time to take a sample of soil
The accuracy of the analysis also depends on time. The soil sample should be taken in early spring or late autumn, that is before or after the vegetative period of the plants. If the sample is taken in the spring, this should be done before the fertilizer application, if in the fall, then at least 2 months after the last application of fertilizers and before their introduction under the autumn digging.