Please help me rate my jar dirt test!

I filled my jar with half dirt and half water and shook it up. I'm not quite sure how to read the results....

I also made a mudball that has dried rock hard with no cracks.

What do you think my clay ratio is??

TIA!

All I see is clay.  That stuff floating on top just looks like mulch or something, but I'm not seeing sand or silt layers.  Not an expert though.

Trace Oswald wrote:All I see is clay.  That stuff floating on top just looks like mulch or something, but I'm not seeing sand or silt layers.  Not an expert though.

It does seem like that. I noticed in my garden that when it dries its rock hard. Not what I was expecting for Arizona!

If you shook up the jar less than 24 hours ago, I guess that the material at the bottom is all silt or caliche. The barely visible line at the top of the silt (plus the residue in the cloudy water) is clay. That looks like 1% or less. The important observation that you have no cracks would support this low clay content, assuming that you dried the ball quickly outdoors rather than slowly in a plastic cover over a good month or more. Clay shrinks as the water evaporates and that causes the cracks.

What will you use the clay for?

John C Daley wrote:What will you use the clay for?

I have two differing viewpoints. One comment says its all clay. The other says it's no clay. I think its no clay. I am planning to do earth bag building. So the results are less than desirable.

I had no idea silt would form a rock solid ball like that.  Interesting.

Trace Oswald wrote:I had no idea silt would form a rock solid ball like that.  Interesting.

Now that is where I'm confused. Because when it dries its harder than shit. But doesn't seem to be clay. Or is it all clay?

I would think silt would crumble away after drying. This thing is as solid as a baseball.

The big question is if it will be good for earthbag construction..... 🤔

Regina Cal wrote:

Trace Oswald wrote:I had no idea silt would form a rock solid ball like that.  Interesting.

Now that is where I'm confused. Because when it dries its harder than shit. But doesn't seem to be clay. Or is it all clay?

I would think silt would crumble away after drying. This thing is as solid as a baseball.

The big question is if it will be good for earthbag construction..... 🤔

An easy test for it is to take some of your soil, mix it into "mud" and squeeze it between your fingers.  If it squeezes out like a ribbon but doesn't break, it's clay.  Silt won't do that.

I'd say mostly silt with some fine sand. It looks like you're using a pint sized jar. I have better success using a quart sizing and filling it 1/3 full of soil and 2/3 water.

Is this sub soil  or top soil sample?


No cracks in the clay ball is really promising

Regina Cal wrote:

Trace Oswald wrote:I had no idea silt would form a rock solid ball like that.  Interesting.

Now that is where I'm confused. Because when it dries its harder than shit. But doesn't seem to be clay. Or is it all clay?

I would think silt would crumble away after drying. This thing is as solid as a baseball.

The big question is if it will be good for earthbag construction..... 🤔

Harder than shit and no cracks is great for earth bag construction.

Aaron Yarbrough wrote:I'd say mostly silt with some fine sand. It looks like you're using a pint sized jar. I have better success using a quart sizing and filling it 1/3 full of soil and 2/3 water.

Is this sub soil  or top soil sample?


No cracks in the clay ball is really promising

I actually have no topsoil, this is about three inches down. I will try the larger jar method. Even if it's not the "golden ratio" of dirt for earth bags, do you think it's still usable? I mean, this stuff is like so hard when it dries!

Yup.  You need to ball that up and play with it like a kid plays with clay.  Roll it into snakes.  Do whatever you do with clay.  If it does that then clay it is.

Regina Cal wrote:

Aaron Yarbrough wrote:I'd say mostly silt with some fine sand. It looks like you're using a pint sized jar. I have better success using a quart sizing and filling it 1/3 full of soil and 2/3 water.

Is this sub soil  or top soil sample?


No cracks in the clay ball is really promising

I actually have no topsoil, this is about three inches down. I will try the larger jar method. Even if it's not the "golden ratio" of dirt for earth bags, do you think it's still usable? I mean, this stuff is like so hard when it dries!

Yeah, earth bag construction is really forgiving. An expansive clay is the only thing that would give me pause but you'd don't seem to have that problem.

Alright, I am going to make some objects from the dirt and see if it acts like clay. My main concern is if the material will be suitable for building structures in earth bag format. I think it will but need to test it a bit more.

Regina Cal wrote:Alright, I am going to make some objects from the dirt and see if it acts like clay. My main concern is if the material will be suitable for building structures in earth bag format. I think it will but need to test it a bit more.

It certainly looks like it will be good for that.

My first soil test was very confusing.  It looked like yours.  Some organic material floating on the top, then water, then clay.  I have nothing but clay under a couple of inches of topsoil under my sod.  Clay that goes on forever.

Thomas Tipton wrote:My first soil test was very confusing.  It looked like yours.  Some organic material floating on the top, then water, then clay.  I have nothing but clay under a couple of inches of topsoil under my sod.  Clay that goes on forever.

I think the best thing I can do is make a test bag and see if it cures into a brick. Put some nails and screws into it. I probably don't need to get hung up on ratios so much. If the dirt is good, then it's good.

I think I'd rather have clay than silt.