What you Need to Know About Soil

The type of soil you have in your yard is important to know if you want to grow a healthy lawn or start (or improve) a garden. Most people know whether they have a heavy, clay soil or an easily cultivated loamy soil. But what does this mean for your chances at successfully growing plants? And how can you improve poor soil?

There are three basic types of soil particles:

• Sand is the largest particle in soil. Soils that are predominantly sandy are well drained, quick to warm up in spring and easy to cultivate. On the negative side, sandy soils don’t retain water well and tend to dry out quickly.
  Plant foods and lime tend to wash out of the soil as the water passes through it, but with careful management they can be very productive.



• Silt is a soil particle that is smaller than sand but larger than clay particles. It feels smooth and powdery.



• Clay is the smallest soil particle. Predominantly clay soils are called “heavy” soils. They are sticky when wet and retain water, but they also can contain a lot of nutrients.

If you are lucky enough to have a balance of the above soil particles, you will have what is called a loam soil. Loam is generally made up of equal parts of sand, silt and clay, making it an ideal soil for growing plants. Loamy soil holds moisture but it also drains well. It also retains nutrients and allows air to penetrate. In short, it is the best soil for growing most plants. Click here to read more on how to do a soil test.

What to do with a clay soil is a common question among homeowners. If you are starting a flower bed or garden and you have clay soil, you can amend it to make it more plant friendly. Bear in mind that changing the soil structure will be an ongoing task, not a quick weekend or even single-season fix. The key is adding organic matter such as seasoned manure, compost or other organic mulch material each growing season. Adding a little sand along with the organic material is acceptable according to many garden experts.

If sandy soil is a problem, the answer is the same: add organic material. Working in organic matter will help the soil retain water and nutrients, making it more plant-friendly.

Other considerations include the soil’s pH level and what nutrients the soil may be lacking. For this, you can have a soil analysis done. Soil sample kits can be purchased at home and garden centers, or you can obtain one from your county agricultural extension office. Follow the directions on how to take the samples, send them in and within a few days you will receive a soil analysis so you can amend the soil properly.