One of the biggest culprits behind plants that fail to grow is the type of soil being used. The wrong soil can wreak havoc on plants and may prevent them from getting the moisture, nutrients and sunlight they need to thrive. What makes gardening difficult is that there are so many different types of soil to choose from, and it can be hard to know which will work best with certain plants.
Before you choose soil for your garden, it can help to understand how different types are identified. Classification is often based on the texture and size of the particles that make up the soil, as well as on the mineral and nutrient content of each type.
While the majority of soils are made up of clay, silt and sand, the ratio of these materials can greatly impact the properties of the soil, as well as its ability to support plant life. Soils can also be identified based on their level of acidity, which is measured on a scale from 1 to 14, known as the pH scale. Lower numbers on this scale are linked to higher levels of acidity, while higher numbers mean the soil is more alkaline.
Though most plants thrive when acidity measures between 6. Of course, the type of soil in your yard is also determined by factors such as rainfall and organic material content. By adjusting things like moisture retention, pH and mineral distribution, you can transform your existing soil to create a more hospitable environment for the type of plants you want to grow.
Chalk, or calcareous soil, is found over limestone beds and chalk deposits that are located deep underground. This type of soil is sticky and hard to work with when wet, and it can dry out very quickly in the summer. Chalk is also very alkaline, with a pH of 7. This high pH is caused by lack of moisture and high lime content, which can cause stunted growth in plants. Excess lime can also turn these plants yellow [source: Gardening Data ].
To make chalk more plant-friendly, try adding acid-rich materials like peat, compost or manure. These materials will help to neutralize the soil and can eventually reduce lime content by improving water absorption. If you'd prefer to keep things simple, focus on plants that thrive in alkaline-based soils, including lilacs, lilies and many types of flowering shrubs.
Avoid richly colored flowers like rhododendrons that need a more acidic environment [source: BBC ]. Sandy soil is made up of large particles of silica, quartz and other rocks.
It has a very rough texture that allows many air pockets to form within the soil. This loose soil base tends to allow moisture to drain quickly and also leads to increased evaporation rates. Because sand doesn't hold moisture well, it can also be difficult for plants to access nutrients before they're washed away due to drainage [source: City of Bremerton ].
Any plant that can survive in drought-like conditions can be grown successfully in sandy soil. Consider desert plants like shrubs and cacti, as well as flowering plants such as tulips and hibiscus. To improve the quality of sandy soil and expand the type of plants that can be grown in it, take steps to slow drainage and limit evaporation.
Organic materials like mulch or compost can be added in with the sand to keep moisture and nutrients in place. Instead of adding large quantities of these products once a season, try adding smaller amounts more frequently to combat the quick-draining properties of the sand. While mulch isn't a type of soil in itself, it's often added to the top layer of soil to help improve growing conditions.
It's made from wood chips, tree bark, leaves, yard waste and many other types of organic materials. Mulch helps keep the surface of the soil porous, allowing water and air to reach the roots of the plants. It also helps to keep sunlight and rain from reaching the soil directly, which can keep heat levels in check and minimize erosion and evaporation [source: Better Homes and Gardens ]. One of the most beneficial properties of mulch is that it tends to decompose over time, adding even more organic nutrients to the soil.
Mulch can be spread over planting beds and gardens, or can be used around individual plants and bushes. To discourage bugs and other pests from taking up home in your mulch beds, keep layers thin and leave a gap in the mulch bed around the base of each plant [source: Chesman and Lloyd ]. Silt is similar in texture to chalk but is much more versatile and easy to use.
It's made up of very fine particles that give the soil a smooth, slippery texture. Because they're so fine, the particles in silt can be compacted very easily, which helps hold moisture and nutrients in place for long periods.
Silt is often a good compromise between sand and clay soils, as it offers a density and weight that falls between these two materials [source: Gardening Data ]. Soil is formed by different particles such as gravel, rock, sand, silt, clay, loam and humus. In this article we discuss on properties, characteristics, size, shape and constituents of least sized soil types namely sand, silt, clay and loam.
It is most extensively used construction material. It consists of particles of rock and hard minerals, such as silicon dioxide. They are the largest type of soil particles, where each particle is visible to naked eye. The large, relatively stable sand-particle size increases soil aeration, improves drainage in tight soils and creates plant-growth supporting qualities, or tilt. The particle size of course sand ranges from 2 — 4. The bigger particle size of the sand gives wet or dry sandy soil a grainy texture when you rub it between your fingers, and it makes the soil light and crumbly even when you try to stick it together in your hand.
The particle shape is angular, sub angular, rounded, flat or elongated. The texture is rough, smooth, or polished. Silt is a sediment material with an intermediate size between sand and clay. To test your soil, you need to take a look at it and feel it.
Add water and try rolling it between your hands. Watch our video guide to testing your soil texture. Depending on the size of your plot, test the soil from different areas, as it can vary enormously. If possible, create main planting areas where the soil is good, saving poorer conditions for hard landscaping, where soil quality is less important. In this simple video guide, David Hurrion shows how to test the texture of your soil to find out whether it is silt, sand or clay.
He explains the differences between the three main soil types and the advantages of each:. Most soils benefit from some improvement. You can improve soil by incorporating organic matter, such as manure or home-grown compost.
In this No Fuss Guide, David Hurrion shows how to test the soil in your garden to check whether it is acid , alkaline or neutral. He describes the different kits on the market and shows how to collect the soil from your garden:. Chalky soil is alkaline, stony and free draining, as it often overlays a chalk or limestone bedrock.
Minerals such as iron and manganese will quickly leach out of the soil, but this can be remedied to an extent by regularly adding fertiliser. Chalky or lime-rich soil may be light or heavy. Find out more about plants for alkaline soils.
Clay soil warms up slowly in spring and goes hard and cracks when dry. It also drains poorly.
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