Visual Observation Dry Texture Test Wet Texture/ Rolling Test Smear Test Nutrients Quickness of drying
Sand Particles visible with eye. The heaviest. Feels gritty and falls apart Crumbles No smear Few nutrients Dries quickly Does not hold water well
Silt Just enough big to see them with a magnifying glass. Not as heavy as sand but heavier than clay Holds together, feels smooth and powdery Holds together, moderate crumbling, cannot be rolled in a strand Some smear More nutrients than sand Takes a longer time to dry. Holds water better than sand.
Clay You need a microscope to see them. Ligther than sand and silt. Feels slippery or sticky and breaks into hard clumps Holds together and it is possible to roll it into a long strand Sticky orangish
Sand Particles visible with eye. The heaviest. Feels gritty and falls apart Crumbles No smear Few nutrients Dries quickly Does not hold water well
Silt Just enough big to see them with a magnifying glass. Not as heavy as sand but heavier than clay Holds together, feels smooth and powdery Holds together, moderate crumbling, cannot be rolled in a strand Some smear More nutrients than sand Takes a longer time to dry. Holds water better than sand.
Clay You need a microscope to see them. Ligther than sand and silt. Feels slippery or sticky and breaks into hard clumps Holds together and it is possible to roll it into a long strand Sticky orangish