How to Test Your Soil at Home For FREE!

Check out this free DIY at home soil test, it is easy, free, and only takes a few minutes to do! This test will tell you how much sand, silt, and clay is in your garden. Hope it helps and happy gardening!

[@stephanyv1901]

It was definitely extra windy in Michigan today! Great content and video today! Thank u so much for all that u do for the gardening community!

[@vicwickgardens9174]

Great information as always. I’m wearing one of your long sleeve shirts as I watched this episode. It’s very comfortable and perfect for the garden. Thanks 😊

[@crushivintage]

I started growing in pots the first year, this year I'm going to try no dig methods and next maybe put in some raised beds. I love your channel and advice. I'm commenting from MN which is close in growing zone to whwere you are producing your show so your lectures and demos are really helpful. Thank you!

[@justinfowler6325]

very useful information as always Luke 😊 thanks for this easy, free test. i was going to send off my soil actually. now i will DEFINITELY reconsider. thanks again and keep up the great work!

[@jofipps376]

I’m really grateful for this video! You did a great job and taught in a way that anyone can do it.🤗😘

[@stevengudewich6873]

Thank you Luke! This is genius I would love to see a follow up video that goes into detail interpreting the results (i.e. what ratios you are looking for in different circumstances)

[@jacquelineanthony1080]

oh also, I followed your vermicompost method and got worms from Uncle Jim, so happy with my worm first worm casting yesterday. Thank you for teaching us newbies

[@hollynelson543]

Love this series on soil. Thank you.

[@mneraasen224]

Thanks Luke 🙌🏻 I’m the one gardener asking for topsoil 😂 every year I try to add some topsoil and compost. My inground garden is looking better every year🙌🏻

[@miekiepiekie1]

Omg. Thank you. This makes me more confident in fixing my garden myself

[@christophwoodchucknorris4040]

Ive been watching your videos for years now and am a fairly new sub. I just wanted to say this is the type of videos i like seeing. This is an amazing piece of art, thanks for your thoughts and knowledge. I am a new 2 year gardener and now have learned alot thanks to your videos.

[@JasonOfTGA]

Thanks for the reminder to check my soil. I picked a spent under-performing part of my garden beds to do the suspension test, and came up I have half sand, half silt, no clay in that place, lol. No wonder I keep watering and feeding it and it always seems dead. Can't wait for the DIY soil nutrient test vid :)

[@anthonyshea5946]

Been wondering how to figure this out. Thanks Luke- super helpful!!!

[@BunnyLang]

I appreciate you. Thank you for all of your help. (My first time trying veggies!)

[@traceydysert6096]

Thanx Luke for the tips! I have tested my soil at home before but it was confusing and I'm usually great at figuring things out. This helped alot!

[@drinkinbuddy8264]

Thank you so much for the information you gave me through the years. I feel now more than ever it is important to plant. My bed looks great and for some good soil

[@75Bigsistr]

I'm going to do this over the weekend. Thanks, Luke!

[@igitahimsa5871]

Thank you :-)! Just what I need to know! Now Waiting on the nutrient vid- Yay! God Bless us all

[@homesteadingwithapurpose9681]

Thank you for this information.

[@irmasanchez5274]

Thank you. Can't wait for the nutrient soil test.

[@wildzenventures]

Good info! Thanks for putting this in layman's terms. I'm learning so much about gardening.

[@shadyman6346]

Looking forward to the fertility tests as well! You are always so perfectly on point with instruction...Thanks!

[@elizabethraworth64]

This is exactly what I needed ! Thank you so much.

[@russellradwanski5771]

Love the information you keep providing the community! If I may, it would have added to the video to see you come back to the sample and identity it on camera for people to see the separation of layers and process of measuring, particularly since there will be some who learn best that way. Cheers!

[@murnm4719]

I was thinking the same thing..

[@traceyshomestead1938]

I have a video where I go through this too and show the results! If you click my channel I think the video is one or two videos back.

[@traceyshomestead1938]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hp_Mi32Mo55ooac here's the link

[@bjohnson2143]

yeah. .. I was thinking the same thing.

[@kathleencarragher8194]

Thank you! I will get this done as soon as possible.

[@cgirldiana]

This is important info! So helpful and so easy! Thank you for sharing, and I'll be looking forward to the nutrient video!

[@micklee7018]

Cracking timing, waiting for at home nutrient one. Thank you very much.

[@taylorkettler7106]

i am so glad you did this!

[@erikacronje8985]

Awesome thanks as I need to amend my garden now before winter starts for winter veggies

[@darlenewright5850]

thank you Luke, will try. think spring!

[@geaizee9204]

Thanks for dealing with that weather for us!

[@ruthshaw1037]

Awesome info Luke. Thank you with love.

[@montanaliving4769]

Thanks for the reminder! I did this a few years back but forgot about it! I think I forgot because it came out really good but going to do it again. We are in the teens at night all last week and looks like the next week as well so still nothing in my beds!

[@carolfoss6487]

Excellent information, thank you!

[@jackzampella5758]

Thanks so much , Luke. I am looking forward to learning how to test the nutrient content of my beds "for FREE". LOL thanks again.

[@Cecil_X]

Thanks again. I am looking forward to the nutrient test. I am confident about the sand / silt / clay proportions of my raised beds, but I will test to verify. I am not so confident about the nutrient content. I grow a cover crop (rye). I mulch and compost that, mixing it with the leaves I mulched the prior fall. I compost everything organic and ensure I have a hot compost. After two years, I add that to my beds. However, I have never tested the nutrients.

[@memellie]

This was great,really looking forward to the nutrient test!!

[@AngelinAfrica]

You have inspired me & my Dog to start our container garden and start a video blog on KZbin. ❤❤❤😊 thanks. You are the BEST 😍😍🥰🥰👏👏🤩🤩

[@jeannine9066]

God bless you, Luke!

[@theproperty541]

You have us all out here Decanting our soul. So fancy...I am doing this tomorrow

[@lizp1559]

This was very timely for me. Thanks.

[@michellejames5953]

I live in SW MI and have bought seeds from you twice now, they had such outstanding germination as far as percent and how fast! Really a great value, hope you don’t raise your prices 😁 Thank you!

[@thomassmith6344]

Hello Michelle

[@kyller10]

Thank you I'm looking forward to the next episode

[@nightswan1234]

Great gardening tip. Thanks for sharing.

[@allanulen3809]

thank you for the information. can't wait for the next one

[@warzshadow9701]

Let me tell you, your enthusiasm always brings me to smile!

[@GmamaGrowz]

Very interesting way to test garden soil 🤩 Thanks for sharing!

[@brg2743]

You never can go wrong with compost.

[@valmllr]

So useful and simple! Thank you! :)

[@victoriajohnson3034]

Thanks i really need these free ideas

[@marygrott8095]

Very informative! Thank you, Luke!

[@thomassmith6344]

Hello Mary

[@nutthrower4415]

Great info always, thanks

[@dojahboyC]

Daniel brought me here from Arms family God bless you Bro when I purchase my first home I will come back to you for my gardening knowledge 😁.

[@diazgrows9165]

Very helpful! Another key tool for the gardening toolbox. :)

[@foreverwantingpie]

I just watched your video about the same thing from 5 years ago ! Love an update

[@ceecee-thetransplantedgardener]

This is great! Thank you!

[@bearforry3569]

Great video, thank you.

[@wanderingron2063]

That was very useful! Thx for the video!

[@shannybug04]

saved tons!!!! thank u!!!!!!!!!

[@azpeach5680]

This was such great info!!!

[@donnayoung5942]

This is good information! Luke you’re the BEST!!

[@thomassmith6344]

Hello Donna

[@jamiemiller5616]

Excellent thank you!!!!!

[@fareebug8439]

💕WOW!!! Thank you, I love this- what a great video and great information. Can't wait for the next one! 💕 😳 And I totally think we did this in like 5 or 6th grade science class - but little did I know I would need to use it for gardening! Lol This is great!

[@truefuschniken]

love the info- thanks!! 😁

[@katjoy9921]

Can you tell us what are the best percentages…not to make things perfect but to aim for a balance? Thanks for the great video.

[@grandmatuesday1184]

At 0:40 he tells the ratio he is looking for in his garden.

[@jeremyinthewild]

Also the previous video he goes into more detail

[@harshalshah4685]

This is a very subjective question, depends on: where you live (geography & geology) and what you want to grow. But for the most part it doesn't really matter all that much unless you're at one of the extremes of more than 90% of sand, silt, or clay; and even then it's still possible grow a backyard crop with some organic matter ammendments. I have a ~35-45% sand/ ~35-45% silt / ~15-20% clay mixture, not counting the organic matter. If I tried to change my soil composition by adding sand, silt, or clay... we're talking yards of material that would have to be roto-tilled in at depth of 12"-18" for it to *begin* to change the soil composition. It's 1000x easier and cheaper to just add compost, manure, grass clippings, etc... in order to build a better soil.

[@PandorasBox2]

very useful thank you

[@TheMagista88]

Thank you for the video!

[@lancemartens646]

I've got my sample. Really looking forward to doing the nutrient test.

[@EileenJoyHappy]

Oh that you for sharing this valuable tip with me.

[@thomassmith6344]

Hello Eileen

[@AbidAli-bv2gl]

Excellent video

[@victoriajohnson3034]

I've never tested, just always added thick layer of compost every spring.

[@inchristalone25]

Yeah I moved to Florida but I still follow you. I can tell you overly loose soil is just as bad as overly compacted! We have mayakka sandy soil and it leaches extremely fast. Even mulch put on top disappears quickly.

[@DynamicallyDisabled]

I literally did this in science class in the 2nd grade!!! Definitely mixing some compost and sand and clay from my yard into my store bought potting mix!

[@DynamicallyDisabled]

my garden mix last year was compost, top soil/clay from my yard, and store bought potting mix. I thought removing the top soil would help lol but guess I was wrong!

[@fraukeg.facchini2691]

This is great, thank you!

[@thomassmith6344]

Hello frauke

[@gardenstatesowandsew]

Thank you so much 😊

[@iveo83]

Great idea! You should have used the magic of television to show the completed jar 😉

[@jackiekitchennowordsneeded587]

Very interesting! Thanks for sharing.

[@thomassmith6344]

Hello Jackie

[@divineelements2864]

Thank You!!!

[@susanrumble6366]

Thanks Luke, ✌️

[@erinsmith2373]

We did this in our MG class 😁 it's nice to know

[@MsLuminous]

Sadhguru's been talking about how soil is disappearing so I thought I'd watch something about soil and this came up. Will try this, thanks.

[@redeemedvintageseamstress4728]

I don't know if you read these comments or not. You have so many subscribers I don't see how you have time! But I'd love to see that same jar after the recommended time with the layers you speak of. I kind of saw it after the few minutes....but it would be neat to see after the final waiting time. 🙂

[@kenmartin2173]

Great video and can't wait for the next one too. Have you done one of testing PH?

[@ardenpeters4386]

thank you! going out and getting some dirt!

[@carmenpirok533]

Thanks for the information! When will the nutrient test video be coming?

[@scottloesch6808]

Another great video and thank you! Off subject but I was wondering if you have done a video on growing tomatillo's. If not would that be a possibility in the future?

[@BriansLawnMaintenance]

Dunno how I just found out you’re in Michigan lol - thanks KZbin algorithm! Congrats on a mil subscribers brother! Say hey anytime.

[@hillarys.k8518]

Good info !!!

[@David-ei1fs]

I would have liked to see the sample settled out with some commentary. I have very strange soil that turns to silly putty with the slightest moisture....I have to heavily amend it. Its called "Waxpool". Very waxy when wet but crumbles well when dry.

[@sharonviquezsolano]

very informative video

[@mtonar9833]

very cool

[@LibertyWarrior68]

Thank you, I didn't know why I didn't think of this, I always wanted to know the amount of clay in my soil.

[@caidenmurphy3606]

great videos! I live in Saginaw Michigan so I too am a Michigander and man there will be a frost and I am not looking forward to it did you know you can grow crow berries even in the middle of winter they are evergreen and grow native in extremely cold places another great winter crop is winter green and lingonberries these are all evergreen winter shrubs you could grow these in January! I am considering doing this myself

[@Talula72]

We put in raised garden beds last year with all new soil, consisting of bagged garden soil, compost, and aged manure. I'm interested in seeing what ours settles out to be.

[@chefe2152]

Could you please do also video about testing for contaminants in soil,for urban dwellers with backyard who wants to convert it to urban garden. Thanks

[@deborahtofflemire7727]

Luke we are getting SMOW in Ontario Canada. I planted 3 beds of potatoes .So I did cover the with row covers ,I hope they will be ok . Crazy

[@sarahventura6381]

I’m going out of town June and July. Any recommendations of what to plant now for august harvest. Or should I just do a cover crop and plant in august. fav cover crop?

[@GeorgiaEBinns]

Thank you for the instruction! Great to know. Please tell us what is (are) the target ratio(s) for sand silt and clay!

[@thomassmith6344]

Hello binns

[@Tessa-si9tm]

Yes I was wondering the same thing I watched the video several times to see if I missed that information?

[@tkaart2242]

Great!

[@cra2cra226]

Kept waiting for you to pull out a jar that had settled the day before to show us what it will look like.

[@scanyoursector5731]

You could always just do a Plastic Index of the soil sample using an Atterberg Liquid Limits Machine, then oven dry the sample, and use a Hydrometer to be as precise as possible!