How to Know What Soil is Best for Your Garden

Having a great garden is dependent on many things. It’s not just about the climate, your knowledge of gardening, and having a green thumb. The success of your garden can be determined as early as you pick your soil.

While seeds and plants are the stars of the garden, they’re nothing without the supporting cast – soil! Finding good soil for your garden can be tricky. Here are a few ways you can help separate the best from the rest.

1. Understand that Different Soil Works Well for Different Plants

One of the secrets of gardening is that some plants are more compatible with specific soils. This is one way you can narrow down your search. Figure out the plants, herbs, or veggies that you want to plant first. These are some soils to consider and what they’re best for.

Sandy Soil

Requires more mulching to help hold moisture in. It also requires support from various kinds of organic blends to make it ideal for growing plants. The soil usually washes away during rain but it’s soil that’s easier to cultivate, dry, and drain.

Best For: Various types of vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, lettuce, zucchini, and more.

Clay Soil

Loaded with nutrients and often has the best conditions for growing plants. While it does provide quality conditions for your plants, clay soil suffers a lot during the rainy season. It has poor water drainage, it can get sticky and lumpy when wet. It’s often best to place this in areas that aren’t too exposed.

Best For: Ornamental plants and fruit trees.

Peaty Soil

Naturally acidic and it’s best combined with organic matter and compost to achieve perfect conditions for growing plants. One of the many benefits is that it can slow the decomposition of plants. The solid can also heat up easily and it retains water very well.

Best For: Vegetables like legumes, salad crops, and root crops.

Slitty Soil

Good all-around soil. Experts also suggest adding more organic matter to make it more fertile and for better drainage.  Slitty soil is distinguished by its soapy and soft texture. It’s easy to cultivate in all climates as well.

Best For: Almost all kinds of fruits and vegetables.

Loam Soil

One of the most commonly used soils for gardening. It’s easy to handle and it’s good for many plants and other crops. A good thing about it is that it requires a lot fewer additions for it to become fertile. It’s a good soil to pick for beginners because of its many benefits.

Best For: Almost all kinds of fruits and vegetables.

2. Test for pH Level

This refers to the acidity of your soil. The good news is that you can buy pH testing kits easily online. The perfect acidity for gardening soil ranges from 5.5 to 7.0. Don’t worry too much if your soil’s acidity is too low or too high. There are ways you can alter this very easily.

If the pH level is too low, the best way to increase it is by adding agricultural lime into the soil. Keep in mind that this process doesn’t happen instantly. After adding lime, wait for a few days and then test again. If it’s too low, the best way would be to add elemental sulphur, aluminium sulphate or sulfuric acid. 

Keep in mind that some plants thrive in more acidic environments. As such, make sure to study the plants you are planning to have first.

3. Check for Insects

Signs of life are a good way to tell if your soil is good for your garden. What you’d want to do is to dig a large hole in your garden. Make sure it’s a wide diameter.

Wait for a few minutes and then inspect if there are insects like worms, spiders, ground beetles, and even centipedes. Don’t be afraid of these insects. Aside from telling you that your soil is healthy and filled with nutrients, these insects can also help control the population of pests in your garden.

4. Top it with Compost

Having organic fertiliser or compost in your garden is always a good idea. If your soil isn’t fertile enough, you can top it off with compost to give it life.

You should do this at least once a year or only when needed. You can make your compost by harvesting rotten fruit, dried leaves, and other organic matter and then storing them in a dry box.

Finding the best soil for your garden is a good start. It can be tough to do this without prior knowledge. If you’re having trouble choosing, then you can ask our gardening experts for help. Aside from having a wide selection of soil to choose from, we also have people who can help you find the most suitable plants for your gardening goals.

Contact us today!