Yes, get some distilled or deionized water and mix 50-50 with the soil, stir and allow to sit a few minutes, then test. This is basically the standard method. Are you able to calibrate your pH meter? That will make all the difference.

Your county Ag Extension office will be able to do or arrange for a soil test, usually $10-$15, typically measures NPK, Ca, Mg etc., pH, and for a small extra fee, organic carbon content. It will make recommendations in lb/sq ft for anything 'deficient'.

Most of us here use a lot of compost and let the system balance itself rather than pouring on fertilizers. But if it's radically deficient in any one thing, or the pH is way off, it may require something specific to fix that. Report back your findings and people here will help you.

Sounds like you have good soil texture based on the particle sizes!

Tox

Be sure to calibrate your pH meter. Our city tap water is known to have pH = 7.6, and I use 5% white vinegar, pH = 3.5, for the second calibration point. Whatever calibration standards you can come up with, use them to make certain that the pH readings are accurate. I use distilled water, from the grocery store, for soil pH testing. I mix just enough water to cover the dirt sample, with a little extra. Then I filter through a paper filter. You can use coffee filter material for this. A filtered sample will prolong the life of the pH meter probe.

The jar test should have shown the precent of organic matter, that stuff that floats on the surface of the water, but a good, reliable soil test from a good soil test lab, maybe your states agricultural school with a Cooperative Extension Service office in your county if you are in th USA (AgCanada does not do these tests I understand) will not only tell you the soil pH you have but the why it is what it is while your pH meter won't and you get P, K, Ca, Mg usually.

I tested the garden soil and it is different then the back portion of the property.
I am not sure I can see the difference between silt and clay.

After an hour or so I have a second layer ontop of the sand.
Then the next day I have a 3rd layer (lighter in color) I am assuming this is clay.

If this is the case, then I am 25% sand 60%silt and 15% clay. In my veggie garden.
Should I add sand to this soil?

I do plan on always adding mulch and compost.
I always calibrate my pH meter with the proper solution.

I am looking for the soil test out of curiosity. I do not plan on dumping chemicals on my gardens.

Hola Dudenator,

At 25% sand 60%silt and 15% clay in the veggie garden, the soil composition is classed as Silt Loam. I wouldn't think that additional sand would be an improvement.

Here are two URLs with interesting information on soil analysis. One is linked. The other is titled The Soil Audit at http://www.alternativeagriculture.org/testing-soil.htm

Terran

Here is a link that might be useful: Types of soil tests

Since I am located in Indiana, this is the link that I found for soil testing.

Anyone use any of these labs?

Here is a link that might be useful: Purdue Indiana lab links

Your soil composition (sand/silt/clay) sounds ideal; loam. Don't even try to change it.

When I first broke ground in my clay soil, I sent soil to the county ag extension office ($35), and bought a home soil test kit ($20 for ten sets of tests). No surprise, I got the same relative results from both sources. I say relative because the extension results were numeric, where the home test kit were less precise. But the general trends were identical with respect to levels of NPK and pH.

I won't trouble the extension office again because their results validated the soil test kit.

I lived in mid-state Illinois (Champaign/Urbana) for several years. I worked one season in the U of I's apple orchard. As I recall, that general area was considered the most fertile land in the country, if not the world. And the area tends to get adequate rainfall. You are starting off with some advantages.

Check the Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K). I'll bet money the pH is ok unless you are living near a riverbed.