So this a soil texture test. And what the water and soap do is allow the particles to separate from each other and settle based on their size. To get the most accurate results, allow your soil to dry out first. Remove all rocks, trash, roots, etc. And then pulverize the soil by crushing all lumps and clods with a hammer or rock. The goal is a fine powder. After that, fill your jar 1/4 full of soil. Then fill the jar with water until the jar is 3/4 full (leaving 1/4 jar empty). After that, add a teaspoon of dishwasher detergent (Dishwasher powder is best). Put on lid. Shake hard for 10-15 minutes. The shaking breaks apart the soil aggregates and separates the soil into individual mineral particles. Sand is the largest and heaviest particle, ranging anywhere from .05-2mm in diameter, so it settles the fastest and goes to the bottom. After shaking your jar, you should let it sit for 1 minute, and then mark on the jar the depth of the sand. Silt is intermediate in size, ranging from .002-.05mm in diameter, so it settles in the middle. Wait two hours and then mark on the jar the depth of the silt. Finally, clay is the smallest particle, measuring less that .002mm in particle diameter; so it takes the longest to settle and it will deposit on top. Let your jar sit undisturbed for 2-3 days before you measure your clay. After that. Pull out your ruler. Measure the total height of your three layers. And then measure each individual layer. Example: Thickness of Sand: 20mm Thickness of Silt: 35mm Thickness of Clay: 5mm Thickness of all Three Together (Total): 60mm To figure out the percentage, just divide the thickness of the particle by the total thickness, and multiple that by 100 Formula: (particle thickness / total thickness) x 100= percent of particle So for this example: Sand= (20 / 60) x 100= 33 Silt= (35 / 60) x 100= 58 Clay= (5 / 60) x 100= 8 So, in this example, the soil is 33% sand, 58% silt, and 8% clay. And it would be classified as a silt loam. There are 12 different soil categories. Refer to the soil texture pyramid to figure out yours. Watch this free Khan Academy video for help: www.khanacademy.org/science/ap-college-environmental-science/x0b0e430a38ebd23f:earth-systems-and-resources/x0b0e430a38ebd23f:earths-soil/v/soil-texture-triangle Another test you can do from home that doesn't cost anything is the soil ribbon test. This is something you can do anytime, and you don't have to wait. All you need is soil, water, and your hand. Feeling your soil is always a good idea. And just remember this: Sand is gritty. Silt is floury and smooth. And clay is sticky.

Awesome info .I'm going to Mason jar test my soil. Thank you very much for your time