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Originally Posted by shcisamax
Great. I am south of 466A but in Fernandina...I wonder if it is sand or clay. How do you find out?
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If your soil is just sandy, when you dig down and turn over a shovel depth of soil you will see that the soil falls apart as there is nothing to hold the soil together. It will more than likely be damp but not wet. (considering we just had heavy rainfall) The soil will also be quite gritty when you rub some between your fingers. If you have clay sand soil the shoveling will take more effort to sink down into the soil and it may have a gray/ whitish appearance. It may be quite wet and will feel smooth and "clayey" when you rub some between your fingers. It will be a heavy shovelful unlike sand that will lighter. Sand will dry out fast and you will have to irrigate often in the summer. If you have sandy clay you will save a lot on irrigation, but you will have to be careful you don't overwater. Digging down in a garden bed or in a inconspicuous piece of lawn and checking moisture levels will help you gauge water needs. My clay sand takes forever to drain and I have to watch how much water I put down when irrigating. If you have sand the water just drains away and then the soil rapidly dries out. As a gardener I prefer sandy clay. I hope that helps!