Determining the Soil's Texture

The size of the mineral particles in soil determines its texture, which tells you how it should be treated during cultivation. There are three basic soil types - clay, silt and sand - which occur in varying proportions. Pick up some of your soil and squeeze; when moist, clay soil forms sticky clumps and is shiny when smoothed. Clay soil holds water and nutrients well but can have poor drainage and be heavy to work.