Knowing your soil texture is critical in knowing how to add amendments and what fertilizers to use.  It also helps you to decide which plants to plant, because while some will tolerate one type of soil, they may thrive in another or simply waste away in a third.  You can quickly and easily test your soil texture at home, without need of special tools or equipment.

To begin, fill a glass jar two-thirds full with water.  Add soil from your desired test area until the jar is filled to within one inch of the top.  Cover very tightly, and then shake the jar vigorously to break up the soil as completely as possible.  Next, place the jar somewhere level.  It will need to stay there for a full 24 hours, so make sure it can rest undisturbed.

After two minutes, the sand layer will settle to the bottom of the jar.  Use a marker or piece of tape to mark the level of the sand.  You will need this mark at the end to determine total amounts of each soil type.

After the jar has settled for one hour, the silt layer will have settled completely.  Again, use a marker or tape to note the level of this layer. 

In 24 hours, the final layer of dirt will have settled.  This is the clay layer.  Now that you have the  levels for each of the three soil types, you can measure them on the jar to determine what percentage of each soil type your particular sample contains. 

While this method is not scientific, it is close enough to help you determine what type of amendments your soil needs, as well as the types of plants best suited for planting there.