Funnily enough, potting mix doesn't actually have any soil in it! It's usually made up of things like moss, wood chips, and compost. Potting mix is already formulated to have everything your plant needs so the only thing you really need to do there is feed some sort of fertiliser or compost (lots of organic/natural options) every few months to top up the nutrients and you're good to go!
If you did want to test soil in a garden though, you can dig up a bit of your soil (make sure to get a good cross section and not just the very top), put it in a glass jar with a little bit of washing detergent and give it a shake. Let it sit for 24 hours and it'll settle into distinct layers with sand at the bottom, then silt, then clay. Measure each section and you can work out what % of each is in your soil.
Funnily enough, potting mix doesn't actually have any soil in it! It's usually made up of things like moss, wood chips, and compost. Potting mix is already formulated to have everything your plant needs so the only thing you really need to do there is feed some sort of fertiliser or compost (lots of organic/natural options) every few months to top up the nutrients and you're good to go!
If you did want to test soil in a garden though, you can dig up a bit of your soil (make sure to get a good cross section and not just the very top), put it in a glass jar with a little bit of washing detergent and give it a shake. Let it sit for 24 hours and it'll settle into distinct layers with sand at the bottom, then silt, then clay. Measure each section and you can work out what % of each is in your soil.
Really interesting! How can I figure out the composition of my soil at home (in pots on my balcony) so I know how to improve it?