How to Test Your Soil for Proper Drainage

Knowing your soil and the drainage for it will give you better results in the garden.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Garden soil in the ground
• Shovel for digging
• Hose or large bucket for water
• Timer
• Ruler for measuring depth, yardstick works best
• Pen or pencil and paper
• A day with no rain or excessive heat

1. Look for a place in the garden where you’ll likely do planting.

2. Dig a hole about 1 to 2 feet across and 1 to 2 feet deep.

3. Fill the hole with water from a garden hose or a bucket filled with water.

4. Stick a ruler or yardstick in the hole and allow it touch the bottom. Write down the where the water reaches.

5. Using a timer, set it for 15 minute intervals and write down the number on the ruler where the water reaches.

6. At the end of 4 timer settings, or 1 hour, look at the numbers and the water levels. If the water is completely drained, the ground is too loose and drainage is fast. If the water has not dropped an inch yet, the drainage is poor.

7. To fix a loose drainage soil, add in organic soil amendments like manure and compost.

8. To fix a poor drainage soil, work in some peat moss in the soil along with compost.