Cation Exchange Capacity

• The CEC is the ability of the soil to hold cations. The higher the CEC value of the soil, the greater its capacity to hold nutrients in the form of cations. The soil percentage also takes into account whether the soil is primarily clay or sand; clay contains negative ions, which attracts cations, and sand is devoid of negative ions and will not attract cations in the form of nutrients.
  
  

Percentage Saturation

• Percent saturation is measured in two ways. The “percent nutrient saturation” is the percentage of the soil's cations that are made up of specific nutrients, such as potassium or magnesium cations, and the “percent base saturation” is the sum total of all the cations combined. This data is useful for determining of the nutritional value of the soil to plants and can help in choosing proper fertilizer; for instance, if the soil is deficient in a particular nutrient, the right fertilizer can correct the problem.
  
  

Soil pH Level

• The acidity of the soil is measured in pH levels. Acid in the soil is conducive to the chemical exchange between the positively charged cation and the negatively charged ion. Therefore the lower the pH level the better the plants will grow. The pH level is measured on a scale from 0 to 14; the pH scale increases in acidity in descending order, so the lower your PH level the higher the soil acidity. The pH level increases by 10 for each whole number; the acid content for a pH level of 5.00 is 10 times higher than a pH level of 6.00, but 100 times higher than the PH level of 7.00.
  
  

Optimum Saturation

• There are two prevalent opinions on the subject of optimum saturation. The first is that a properly balanced ratio of nutrients will contribute to the healthy growth of plants. The second opinion is that it is not necessary to have a wide range of nutrients for optimum plant growth and the concentrating on specific nutrients is preferable. According to analysis servicing company Spectrum Analytic, there is no real evidence suggesting that a balanced ratio is necessary and that optimum saturation truly depends on your individual needs.