The type of soil in your garden determines how much water and fertiliser you should apply and even what kinds of plants you can grow. Plants which are rooted in sandy, or light, soil need plenty of water and nutrients; those in heavy clay may well be killed by overwatering. In order to find out what kind of soil you have, try this simple test on it.
Fill a coffee jar two-thirds full of water. Add soil from your garden until the water level rises to the jar's lip. Screw on the cap and shake vigorously. Set the jar down and watch the particles settle. The larger sand grains will fall to the bottom of the jar almost immediately; finer silt
particles will take a while longer; and tiny clay particles will settle only after several hours.
Now 'read' the layers. Equal layers of sand, silt and clay indicate loamy soil - ideal for plants. A thick layer of sand means light soil, which you could improve by digging in manure or compost. A thick layer of clay shows heavy soil. To improve it, dig in sand and organic matter.
