How to Test Topsoil
- 1). Examine the color of the topsoil. Quality soil is a deep, dark brown or black color.
- 2). Smell the soil. Good topsoil should be sweet-smelling.
- 3). Water the topsoil until a small portion of it is damp. If you over-water and it becomes soggy, give it several minutes to drain.
- 4). Take a handful of the damp topsoil into your hand.
- 5). Squeeze the topsoil together.
- 6). Open your hand and inspect the soil. If it is formed into a ball that breaks easily apart, it is loamy topsoil--exactly what you're looking for. If the topsoil is a sticky clump, it has too much clay. If the topsoil feels watery or gritty, it has too much sand.
- 7). Purchase a soil testing kit (available at garden and home improvement centers) and follow the manufacturer's instructions to learn the topsoil's pH levels. The kit should offer complete information about how to amend the soil, if necessary. Neutral soil pH, which is best for most plants, measures 6.6 to 7.3. Trying to grow anything but acid-loving plants in acidic soil, or anything but alkaline-loving plants in alkaline soil, will lead to unhealthy plants that may eventually die.
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