Soil Ribbon Test

source for this info: http://soils.usda.gov/education/resources/lessons/texture/

Guide to Texture by Feel

Modified from S.J. Thien. 1979. A flow diagram for teaching texture by feel analysis. Journal of Agronomic Education. 8:54-55. (Click here for a high-resolution version of the graphic.)

Texture class is one of the first things determined when a soil is examined. 

Soil Textural Triangle

Click here for a high-resolution version of the graphic.

More information you can use.

Soil Texture Experiment

Identifying Texture by Feel (courtesy of Colorado State University, Cooperative Extension consumer horticulture specialist and Colorado Master Gardener coordinator; C. Wilson, Extension horticulture agent, Denver County; and A. Card, Extension horticulture agent, Boulder County. 12/03)

Feel test – Rub some moist soil between your fingers.
• Sand feels gritty.
• Silt feels smooth.
• Clays feel sticky.
Ball squeeze test – Squeeze a moistened ball of soil in your hand.
• Coarse textures (sand or sandy loam) soils break with slight pressure.
• Sandy loams and silt loams stay together but change shape easily.
• Fine textured (clayey or clayey loam) soils resist breaking.
Ribbon test – Squeeze a moistened ball of soil out between your thumb and fingers.
• Sandy soils won’t ribbon.
• Loam, silt, silty clay loam or clay loam soil ribbons less than 1 inch.
• Sandy clay loam, silty clay loam or clay loam ribbons 1 to 2 inches.
• Sandy clay, silty clay, or clay soil ribbons more than 2 inches.
A soil with as little as 20 percent clay may behave as a heavy clayey soil. A soil needs 45 percent to over 60 percent sand to behave as a sandy soil.
Want to learn more?
Colorado State University Extension: Estimating Soil Texture: Sandy, Loamy or Clayey?

 There are several sites on the net that have information on ribbon tests.  Simply Google "Soil Ribbon Test" for several sites to check out.