Soil type - Ask Extension
Does my soil test tell me what type of soil I have (sandy, clay)?
Knowledgebase
Soil type #907669
Asked June 28, 2025, 9:12 PM EDT
Does my soil test tell me what type of soil I have (sandy, clay)?
Van Buren County Michigan
Expert Response
Hello
Yes, your soil texture, what you referred to as soil type, is correlated to its Cation Exchange Capacity or CEC. Your test shows you your CEC, and so indicates your soil texture of sandy or loam or clay.
Please see Table 1. in the following bulletin from Perdue University Extension:, which shows textures, a place-name example, and the corresponding CEC.
You may ignore the “Examples” column, which pertains to place-named areas outside of Michigan.