Does any one have any good websites they would recommend on finding what types of soil I have on my property?

I live in Jackson County, Michigan.

Thanks in advance.

soil is composed of 3 things.

clay
silt
sand

things don't grow too well in soil with alot of clay. just grab you a handful of the soil and examine it. clay is a very fine particle. sand is, well, sandy. silt is sort of like organic material.

you can also take some soil samples to your extension agent and they can give you recommendations as to your fertilizer and lime requirements for that particular soil composition.

If you live in Michigan your soils were probably formed from glaciers, otherwise known as glacial till.Go to your local Natural Resources Conservation Service center, and they can print a map with the soils listed, and give you a description of the soil. Find your NRCS phone number here: http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app?service=page/CountyMap&state=MI1&stateName=Lower%20Mich igan&stateCode=26

Be sure to get the soiltested soon!

You could try a few links such as:

http://www.mi.nrcs.usda.gov/soils.html

http://www.gis.iwr.msu.edu/net21/ssurgo/countypicker.html

http://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,1607,7-135-3307_3331-9611--,00.html

Dan O.

You can get a general idea using your hands and a little water, along with a sil texture triangle. Sand will not stain your hands when wet, and has a grainy, gritty feel when you rub it between your fingers. Silt will stain your fingers when wet, and hasa much smoother feel to it. Both sand and silt are more of a three-dimensional, spherical type shape. Clay, if you look at the actual particles under a microscope, looks more like tiny sheets of paper. Clay is the only particle that really bonds the soil together when most, and a soil with a lot of clay will ribbon out when you mash it between your index finger and thumb. If it holds together like playdough, it has a lot of clay. If the soil doesn't seem to hold together well, there isn't a lot of clay.

While too much clay can be a problem, clayparticles are the onesresponsible for holding the lion's share of nutrients and moisture in the soil.


Here's a copy of the soil texture triangle. By figuring out two of the three particle types making up your soil, you can figure out your basic soil type.

http://soils.usda.gov/technical/handbook/images/Part618Exhibit8_hi.jpg

Don't forget the organic matter either , NT .

If you want to know the proportions of the sand , silt , OM , and clay in your soil take a quart mason jar and fill it halfway with a sample of soil and then fill to within 1" from the top with water . Put the lid on and shake it until the sample is completely broken down in the water and then set the jar aside until the next day . The ingredients in your soil will stratify by weight showing you their relative proportions in the soil . Measure the height of the whole strata and then the individual layers with a metric rule to determine their percentages .

Thanks for all the info. It is much appreciated.

Pretty much covered everything. Be careful with soil maps provided by the USDA and NRCS, they are a very general representation.

We used the stratification method that kevin1 mentioned in soils class, but by also using a soil hydrometer that you can buy on the web. A little more accurate than the measuring of the layers, but both will get you close enough.

The best thing to do is to take a representative soil sample from the plot and to send a sample to a lab, they usually don't need anymore than about a quart jar full. They will send you a report of the soil analysis that shows mineral defficiencies, and excesses, pH, bulk density, cation exchange capacity, etc... These tests usually run about $50. They usually also provide a fertillizer/ammendment recommendation based on what crop you want to grow on the soil you provided the sample for.


Hope that helps,

Dan Rotlisberger
CSU Fresno Plant Science Major