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From YouTube: Know Your Soil
Description
Water efficient landscaping tips based on your types of soil.
http://www.squeezeeverydrop.com
A
Soyal,
it's
the
foundation
of
any
great
landscape.
The
soil
type
in
your
area
will
affect
the
health
of
your
plants
and
determine
the
amount
of
water
in
your
landscape
needs.
While
scientists
have
classified
thousands
of
soil
types
in
Oklahoma
today,
we'll
focus
on
just
three
sand:
loam
and
clay
for
landscaping
purposes.
The
most
important
difference
between
these
three
soil
types
is
something
called
pore
size
pore
size
is
simply
the
space
between
individual
particles
of
soil.
Many
urban
soils
are
compacted
due
to
construction
activities.
A
Add
water
only
as
quickly
as
the
soil
can
absorb
it
to
ensure
that
it
penetrates
into
the
ground
rather
than
running
off.
Large
pore
sizes
allow
water
to
pass
through
quickly,
while
small
pore
sizes
help
to
retain
water
in
the
soil
of
the
three
soil
types
sand
has
the
largest
pore
size
and
retains
the
least
water
clay
is
composed
of
tiny
particles
packed
tightly
together.
It
has
the
smallest
pore
size,
loam
falls
somewhere
in
the
middle.
It
retains
just
enough
water
to
keep
plants
hydrated,
while
allowing
enough
drainage
to
keep
roots
healthy.
A
A
The
soil
testing
lab
can
determine
your
soils,
texture
and
nutrients
for
ten
dollars
per
sample,
or
you
can
use
the
texture
by
Pheo
method
to
have
your
soil
tested
divide
your
landscape
into
zones
that
are
used
for
different
purposes.
Vegetable
gardens,
flower
beds
or
turf
grass
areas
should
be
considered.
Independent
zones
use
a
shovel
or
soil
probe
to
collect
15
to
20
samples
from
each
zone,
mix
the
samples
from
each
zone
in
a
clean
bucket
and
be
sure
to
use
a
separate,
clean
bucket
for
each
zone.
A
Another
way
to
test
your
soil
is
the
texture
by
feel
method
to
determine
your
soil
type
by
feel
place,
a
handful
of
soil
in
your
palm
and
moisten
it
with
water
knead.
It
in
your
hand,
to
get
a
feel
for
its
texture.
Sandy
soil
is
gritty
and
drains
quickly.
Clay
soils
are
sticky
and
drained
very
slowly.
A
Loamy
soils
are
somewhere
in
between
and
often
have
a
spongy
texture.
Once
you
determine
your
soil
type,
adopt
soil
treatment
and
irrigation
methods
that
are
right
for
you.
Sandy
soils
drained
quickly.
If
you've
got
sandy,
soil
you'll
need
to
irrigate
more
frequently
for
shorter
periods.
A
longer
you
irrigate,
the
more
water
leeches
below
the
root
zone
where
it
can't
be
used
by
your
landscape.
A
Clay
soils
retain
more
moisture
and
absorb
water
slowly
to
prevent
evaporation
or
runoff
use
the
cycle
and
soak
approach
irrigate
for
fifteen
or
twenty
minutes
and
allow
the
water
to
soak
in
thoroughly
repeat
the
process.
Until
you
reach
your
target
irrigation
level,
every
soil
type
can
benefit
from
the
addition
of
organic
matter.
Organic
matter
adds
nutrients
and
increases
water.
Holding
capacity
examples
include
leaves
lawn,
clippings,
vegetable
scraps,
coffee
grounds,
straw
and
twigs
or
chipped
branches.
You
can
also
use
a
compost
bin
or
dig
small
trenches
where
you
bury
your
soil
amendments.