KNOW YOUR SOIL TYPE
The key to a beautiful garden and productive veg plot is maintaining a healthy soil. Use this simple guide to find out how to get the most out of yours
Any experienced gardener will tell you that to grow beautiful, healthy plants you must first take care of the earth beneath your feet.
While all soils fulfil a similar function, there are many different types, and knowing which one you have in your garden will help you to choose plants adapted to thrive in your specific conditions. Clay and sandy soils are the most common types; silty soils are less prevalent and are generally found on flood basins near rivers or where rivers have previously existed; and peaty and chalky soils are rare in gardens and exist in just a few areas of the country. Although there is no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ soil, since there are plants adapted to each type, some can be more challenging to cultivate and may not support as many garden plant species.
How to test your soil
As well as looking at your soil, assessing how moist or dry it is, and how easily you can get your spade into it, you can also try the following simple test. First, take a sample of soil from about 10-15cm below the surface – if you have a large plot, take a few samples from different areas. If it is not already damp, add a little water so that it’s moist but not wet. Then feel the texture with your fingers before trying to roll it into a ball.
A soil rich in clay will feel smooth and sticky, and will have a surface sheen like plasticine if you rub it. When rolled into a ball, clay will keep its shape well, and it can be moulded to form a long ribbon. It will also retain a fingerprint mark when you press your thumb on to it.
Sandy soil feels gritty and when you try to roll it into a ball, it will fall apart. Silty soils have a smooth, soapy texture and will make a loose ball shape but will easily fall apart and cannot be moulded into a ribbon like clay. A peaty soil feels spongy and won’t roll into a ball – drops of water
may also come out when you squeeze it. Depending on its exact make up, you may be able to roll loam into a ball and even a ribbon shape if it’s a clay loam, but it will not leave a fingerprint mark when pressed. If you suspect your soil is chalky, check for the tell-tale signs of white chalk and stony flint in it. You can also add some soil to a jar of vinegar and if it froths, then you know it contains chalk or limestone and will be very alkaline.
Improve your soil
The best advice for any gardener is to choose plants adapted to your site and soil conditions, but we all want what we can’t have, so if you have your heart set on a plant that likes good drainage but you have heavy clay, or a rose that prefers a ri
