Loam Sweet Loam

I'm back...it's been a busy month here at the RDR. I guess I should start by revealing the results of my soil test. As I left off, the soil sample in my Mason jar settled into layers. The bottom layer is sandy and is about 4 cm high. The next layer is silt, which measures about .5 cm. The top layer is clay, which also is about .5 cm. The total height of all layers (not including the water) is 5 cm. I divided each layer by the total height of all layers and then multiplied by 100. So, my soil is 80% sand (4 cm divided by 5 cm, multiplied by 100), 10% silt (.5 cm divided by 5 cm, multiplied by 100), and 10% clay.

Using these percentages, I identified my soil as "loamy sand" on the USDA's soil texture triangle. Incidentally, the soil textures in the lower left corner (sandy loam and loamy sand, in particular) are ideal for growing lavender. This makes me roll my eyes, as I don't plan on growing lavender here at the cottage--I want to grow it on my ranch. And I'm sure that no matter where I end up buying my ranch, the soil on said ranch will be far from ideal for growing lavender.