Easy way to test dirt for clay?

I am fairly confident I have good clay in my dirt. When it is wet, it is sticky and slick, and holds a ball form well. I am letting that ball sit out to dry.

In my garden, when the dirt is damp and then dries out, it dries very hard, its even hard to break up with a shovel.

I plan to do the jar test, but have read its not so accurate.

Without doing any professional testing, are there any other easy ways to test the dirt for good clay ratio at home?

Hi Regina,

I've found the jar test to be accurate for determining sand/silt/clay ratio. If the dirt ball you made cracks significantly your clay may be expansive. If that's the case as a second test you may want to make a brick using straw and see how it holds together.

Post a picture of your jar test and other tests here if you're unsure. There are a lot of cobbers on Permies.  

Aaron Yarbrough wrote:Hi Regina,

I've found the jar test to be accurate for determining sand/silt/clay ratio. If the dirt ball you made cracks significantly your clay may be expansive. If that's the case as a second test you may want to make a brick using straw and see how it holds together.

Post a picture of your jar test and other tests here if you're unsure. There are a lot of cobbers on Permies.  

Awesome, I will do the jar test today and post the results!