Soil Pit

A soil pit is one of the best ways to look at the physical properties of your soil. It is a lot of work if you have to hand dig it, but may be worth it if you are having trouble with the physical properties of your soil. One of the big things to look for is compaction. An icepick is good for picking out compaction. Soil color is a good indication of wetness. Red, Yellow, and Brown soils tend to be well drained. Gray, green, and blue soils are poorly drained. Gradations between well drained and poorly drained soils tend to have flecks of well drained and poorly drained colors in them.