GROWING GARDENERS · SOIL RESOURCE
Getting your bed ready for planting
A few simple soil tests for Footscray West Primary before your seedlings are planted.
BEFORE YOU PLANT
Know your soil before you dig
Your bed at Footscray West has been sitting under woodchip mulch for a while, which is a good start, but we need to check the soil underneath before seedlings are planted. Rake the chip back rather than digging it into the soil, since it pulls nitrogen out of the ground as it breaks down. A lot of the inner west sits on heavy clay, which impacts the soil's draingae. The three tests below are quick, easy and will tell us if we need to amend the soil to improve drainage before adding more soil and planting your seedlings.
THREE EASY TESTS
Test your soil in an afternoon
The jar test
Fill a clear jar a third with soil, top it up with water, shake well and leave it to settle for 24 hours. It separates into layers, sand on the bottom, silt in the middle and clay on top, so you can see the relative soil composition. This is useful to set up in class and check on the next day.
The drainage test
Dig a hole about 20 to 30cm deep and wide, fill it with water and let it drain once, then fill it again and time how long it takes to drain away completely. Under 4 hours is ideal, past 6 to 8 hours means the bed needs amendment before planting to improve drainage.
The squeeze test
Take a handful of moist soil and give it a squeeze. If it holds together in a tight, slippery ribbon, it is clay heavy. If it falls apart straight away, it is sandy. A loose shape that crumbles when poked is ideal for planting. This could be a quick lunchtime activity for the garden and sustainability group.