Things You'll Need:
- Glass jars
- Topsoil
- Black marker
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Step 1
Fill a 1-quart glass jar 1/3 of the way with topsoil. Then add water to the soil until the jar is nearly full.
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Step 2
Place the lid securely on the jar and shake well. This will ensure that all of the clumps are dissolved and have disappeared.
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Step 3
Place the jar near a window or in another area that gets a lot of direct sunlight. Within a few minutes, you will see all of the sand that is within the soil move to the bottom of the jar.
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Step 4
With a black marker, mark the level of the sand on the outside of the jar.
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Step 5
Let the jar sit without any disturbance for a few hours. You will see silt particles piling on top of the sand. These layers will have different colors and will be classified as many different types of particles.
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Step 6
Place the jar in a windowsill and allow it to remain there all night. You will see a layer of clay developing on top of the silt. Mark the top of this layer on the side of your jar. Above the clay, you will end up with a layer of thin, organic material. There may still be organic matter floating freely throughout the water even after the jar has sat overnight. You should see a dark, muddy look to the water and should be able to see a great deal of matter floating around. If you do not see this, you are probably going to need to add organic material to your soil to improve its quality and structure.
