ESP-SMT Smart Modular Control System 74Simple Test To Determine The Soil Type1. Remove 1 to 2 cups of soil at the approximate rootdepth of the plant material you plan to irrigate2. Place the soil into a glass jar in which you can see thecontents (a Mason jar or an empty mayonnaise jarworks well)3. Fill the balance of the glass jar with water.4. Screw the cover onto the jar and shake vigorouslyuntil all of the soil particles are suspended in thewater.5. Set the closed jar onto a flat surface and let sit untilmost of the soil particles have settled to the bottomof the jar (this can take a few hours).The settled soil will be deposited in layers with theheavier soil particles (sand) forming the bottom layer,followed by the next heaviest soil particles (silt), andfinally the lightest soil particles (clay).6. Measure the total height of all the soil layerscombined.7. Measure the height of each of the three individualsoil layers (sand, silt and clay) and compare thesevalues to the total soil height to get an approximatepercentage of each soil type.8. Apply these percentages to the Soil ClassificationTriangle on the adjacent page to identify the SoilType description.Example: Total Soil Height = 3 inches.The soil is comprised of the following:• Clay; ½ inch (0.5/3.0) = 17%• Silt; 2 inches (2.0/3.0) = 66%• Sand; ½ inch (0.5/3.0) = 17%Apply these values to the Soil Classification Triangle on thenext page to determine the soil type description.1/2"2"3" TOTALHEIGHT1/2"
