How to Calculate Soil Saturation

Calculating your soil saturation can give you a good idea of the general make up of your soil. Soil is made up of a combination of sand, clay and silt. If there is more sand in your soil than other materials, you soil drains well but may end up unable to retain water for plant's root systems. Soils that consist of a high amount of clay are commonly waterlogged and the risk of your plants contracting root rot increases. Silt or loamy soil is the ideal soil for the gardener, because it drains well and is suitable for a large variety of plants.

Shovel

Trowel

Measuring tape

Pencil

Paper

Peat moss

Compost

Sand

Dig a hole 12 inches in diameter and 12 inches deep. Measure both the depth and diameter with a measuring tape. With a trowel, smooth the edges so they are straight and smooth.

Pour water into the hole or fill it up with a gardening hose. Allow for the water to absorb into the hole overnight. Saturated soil will give you a more accurate reading than dry soil.

Fill the hole back up with water the next day. Make sure you fill the hole to the top. Insert a yard stick into the hole and measure the water line. Write down the results.

Measure the water line each hour until the water has been absorbed into the soil.

Read the results of the soil saturation test. Water absorbed at a rate between 1 to 3 inches an hour as adequate saturation. If it is more than 4 inches of water, your soil drains too fast for plant roots to absorb the water. You can fix this by adding a layer of peat moss to your lawn and tilling. Water absorbed at less than 1 inch indicates poor drainage that must be amended with an equal amount of compost and sand.

Dig several holes throughout your yard to calculate the soil saturation within the entire property. Often, several types of soil can be found in one yard.

Retest your soil's saturation qualities after a month. If nothing has improved, you may need to add drains.