The physical constituents of the soil
Your soil contains four basic constituents:
- Humus, which is made up of all the organic elements. It comes from the decomposition of vegetable matter produced by the soil's natural bacteriae. It retains water and fertilizing elements.
- Clay, which acts as a connecting agent between the constituents. It also retains water and fertilizer.
- Calcium, which comes from limestone, helps neutralize acidity.
- Sand, which is made of rock elements of various sizes. These elements don't group together.
How can I identify the constituents of my soil easily?
To improve your soil it is important to know which elements it contains. A simple way of knowing the elements your soil contains, and in what proportion, is put a sample in a large glass of water and stir vigorously.
Let it settle for several hours until the water is almost transparent.The bigger elements like the sand will lie at the bottom, then above this will be the silt and the clay, then finally you will find the organic matter at the top.
You can then change its structure. If for example there is too much silt and clay, you can add sand and organic matter. Consult our file on soil improvement.