Getty Images
content
on this page
Understand your local soil
Test your soil
Each type of soil is explained
How to change the floor
Depending on where you live, you probably have one of six soil types: loam, clay, sand, chalk, chalk, or peat. Knowing your yard's soil type is important and will help you create a lush, self-sustaining garden, choose the right plants, and solve problems. Fortunately, there are some easy ways to determine what you're dealing with.
Related: The best soil types for growing succulents and cacti
Know your local soil
To find out what kind of soil you have, look no further than your neighborhood. Most soils in any region are similar, says John Clements, garden director at the San Diego Botanical Garden. “There are great resources to help you figure out your soil type and other gardening concerns: local garden clubs, county agricultural officials, local agriculture and horticulture departments, or gardening groups. A regional Facebook," he says.
Don't exclude your neighbors either: “Wherever you live, other gardeners have experience with the soil in this area. Rather, a neighborhood gardener can be an invaluable resource,” says Clements.
Test your soil
If you haven't yet found a community of horticulturists, there are several at-home testing options you can try, says Ana María Torres, landscape architect and founder of At Architect.
Do your own soil analysis
"You can do a patch test by placing a cup of soil in a large jar, shaking it well, and letting it sit overnight," says Torres. The next morning, monitor the condition of the water to determine the type of soil:
Clay and clay soils: Turbid water
The bottom is sandy: the water is clean
Peat soil: particles that float in water
Limestone: Gray water and slightly colored granular fragments under glass
Mud bottom: clear water with small particles floating on the surface
soil pH test
If you want to get more technical, you can use a pH test kit to determine the acidity of your soil and compare the results to the pH of your soil type, Torres says.
Jargut / Getty Images
Each type of soil is explained
volume
This type of soil contains at least 25% clay and retains nutrients particularly well thanks to the microscopic structure of each soil particle, says Planta App crop expert Anton Ledzin. “Depending on how clay soils have been treated, they can be compacted, slow-draining and difficult to work with, or they can have a well-porous aggregate structure that provides drainage and provides an excellent 'rooting' environment. he says. said
You may experience compaction from something heavy (such as a vehicle) resting on clay soil. "Vehicles do the most damage by crushing air pockets, leaving only hardened clay," he says. "The best way to improve compacted soil is to cultivate in the fall (in frozen areas)—freezing temperatures break the soil into smaller aggregates—or to encourage biological activity by adding plant matter from composting."
Define clay soil
To make sure you have clay soil, try a "shrinkage test" with a wet soil sample, Clements explains. He suggests holding it in your hand and gently squeezing it. "Soil that's sticky, holds tight, and can roll is clay," he says, adding that grounding can be especially important if you have such soil. "Clay covering the soil makes it less prone to extreme expansion and compression and prevents the sun from baking the clay into hard, impermeable 'ceramics.'
Growing plants in clay soil
If you're looking for plants that will thrive in this soil, try some of Ledin's suggestions:
pink
potato
Most vegetables
lily of the valley
owners
Badan heart
Purple
Echinacea
sandy soil
There are a few states like Florida and Texas that tend to see sandy soils. This type of soil drains quickly; It warms up quickly in the spring and cools down quickly in the fall, Ledin said. "It doesn't hold nutrients and water as well as other types of soil," he says. "This means it drains and dries faster, which can be useful when certain plants are growing."
Plants that are more sensitive to moisture (especially during the winter months) do best in sandy or loamy soil, but anything that prefers moist conditions will not do well in gardens with such soil.
Define a sandy bottom
Test your soil to see how it behaves when you squeeze a handful of it in your hand. "Prickly soil that doesn't hold together and falls through your fingers is sand," says Clements. "Sandy soils are poor in nutrients and do not hold moisture well. Organic matter helps the sand retain moisture and increases fertility.'
Plants grow in sandy soil
If you're working with sandy soil, try planting these varieties, says Ledin:
Vegetables such as carrots, beets, parsley, potatoes, onions and garlic
Alpine perennial
delicious
cactus
Loose soil
Clay people have the best of both worlds; It is a fertile soil that drains well and holds water. "It mainly contains medium-sized mineral particles, which, depending on the other ingredients, can give a porous or compact soil," explains Ledin. "These soil types are often more easily eroded by rain and water than others, so it's best to plant perennials that cover exposed soil to prevent erosion."
define clay soil
Check your floor type with the Clements Compression Test. "Soap, very fine soil particles, almost impermeable to water," he says, adding that this can be improved by adding compost and mulch. "The clay covering the soil helps the soil particles fly away."
Plants can grow in loamy soils
Ledin says plants that prefer to be equally wet and dry do well in loamy soil:
Perennial and annual ornamental grasses
Trees and shrubs, especially those that like moist soil, such as willows and dogwoods
Number of tubers and tuber plants
Getty / Guido Mitos
Loose soil
This type of soil is a combination of the above repetitions: clay, sand and silt. "Usually it breaks down into sand or clay, whichever is more," Leddin said. "It's very easy to work and gives you the benefits of clay and sandy soil, but with less difficulty in both."
define clay soil
"Loamy soil holds its shape a little bit, but then breaks easily," says Clements. "In clay soils, compost and mulch make the soil more fertile and improve moisture retention."
Plants can grow in loamy soils
The good news is that most garden plants grow well in clay soil, Ledin says, especially garden plants and perennials and annuals.
peat soil
Most people will not find peat moss in their garden; This is rare and unnatural, says Ledin. "Peat is porous and holds water and nutrients very well. Almost all potting soil sold in bags for indoor gardening and growing is peat with very little other ingredients,” he continued. "Peat soil is almost pure organic material and breaks down and loses volume over time."
Growing plants in peat soil
Because it's a common type of soil sold at most nurseries and garden centers, most plants do well in it, Leddin says, but some will thrive, as will all heather plants (think rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias). why? Peat has a low pH until lime is added.
Limestone soil
Chalk, sometimes called calcareous soil, is a type of alkaline soil that can be light or heavy in quality depending on its composition. "Lowering the pH of alkaline soils is difficult, heather plants cannot grow," says Ledin. "Clay soils are defined by a pH greater than 7 and thus can be composed of different particle sizes, but are generally more closely associated with clay-rich soil types."
Determine the soil with chalk
If you think your soil has lime, you can do a vinegar stress test. "Foam that looks thick and chalky when you put it in a bowl of vinegar is chalk," says Clements. "In highly alkaline, calcareous soils, organic matter helps retain moisture and lowers the pH."
Plants grow in limestone soil
According to Ledini, some plants do well in this type of soil:
Vegetables such as asparagus, cabbage, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, garlic, peas, beans, beetroot and squash
eyelids
geranium
lavender
iris
delphinium
internal
clematis
kiwi fruit
Forsyth
Purple
ginkgo
Decorative cherry with flowers
RELATED: 26 Brilliant Backyard Ideas That Will Completely Change Your Landscape
How to improve or replace the floor
According to all our experts, the secret to improving your floor is the same, regardless of its type. “All soil types benefit from the addition of organic matter. A really good soil is 60% organic matter (silt, sand, clay, silt or chalk) and 40% organic matter for optimal growth,” says Clements. "Add well-rotted compost often." The exception is peat soil: it's already perfect, says Clements.
But don't adapt too quickly. Adjust what you plant (native plants that thrive in your specific soil type will do well in the long run) before changing what you already have, Torres says.
Change the pH of your soil
If you are looking to improve your soil, pay attention to the pH level. "Some plants like acidic soil, while others like alkaline," says Torres. “Once you've decided what to grow and where, you can raise the pH by adding lime, which makes the soil more alkaline; Adding aluminum sulfate makes the soil more acidic."
compost and green sand
Lots of organic matter, like plain old compost, will do better to support clay and limestone soils, which are the hardest to work, Torres says. mud and sand? "A substance called green sand can be added to [these] soils to loosen or bind them as needed," she says.
