There are a seemingly never ending number of factors to keep in mind when you are looking to establish your garden, however, in our experience the most overlooked of these is exactly what type of soil your garden or yard is made up of. This is a basic cornerstone of gardening. Put simply, the elements that are found within your soil will make it either heavy, which will make the soil appear to be extremely wet and poorly drained, or light which, obviously means the exact opposite is true. Light soil is dry and will drain effectively. These factors will ultimately determine what types of plants will thrive and continue to bloom when planted in it.
To find out the chemical nature of your soil you would have to use the PH scale, I'm sure you are aware of it, we all remember our high school days sitting in class waiting for the litmus paper to turn blue during those interminable science lessons. The Ph scale goes from 1-14. Below 7 (neutral), soil types are progressively acid and are known as "lime free" and above neutral they tend to get more alkaline (limy). It is possible to establish what type of soil you have simply by looking at the colour, checking out the texture, and observing what type of shrubs and plants will thrive on it or you may also do a soil test using one of the many kits that are commercially available from your garden centre. The best advice however, is to take a decent size soil sample and visit your favourite garden centre, where your exact soil type can be established.
Dense Clay
What happens with the heavy clay soil type is that the miniscule clay particles clump together, making this type of clay soil extremely slow to drain, especially after some heavy rainfall. It can become horribly sticky and will bake rock hard in the midday sun. Thankfully this type of clay is normallyvery fertile and can be improved by putting in a a half decent drainage system, or by adding grit and some coarse organic matter. Heavy clay can be a really hard to work with, as anyone who has tried digging out a pond in high summer can testify.
Sandy Soil Types
As you can imagine this type is the complete opposite of heavy clay. The sand particles are larger than the clay molecules, making sandy soil beautifully light, free draining, and quick to warm up in the spring sunshine. Some plants or shrubs may need a little more irrigation and feeding, although this can be improved by adding compost or other types of organic matter.
Lime- Free (Acidic)
Frequently referred to as peaty, these lime free soils tend to be quite dark in their appearance and very rich in organic matter. This soil type is, by it's very nature, quite acidic, and tends to hold on to moisture quite easily, however, it can be made to drain more quickly simply by adding coarse sand.
Alkaline Or Limy Soil Types
The exact opposite of lime free soil types would be the limy or alkaline soils. These soils tend to quite chalky, and will often be quite pale to look at. They will also be chock full of stones or rock particles. Free draining, they will warm up quite quickly in spring, and are moderately fertile. Like sandy soils they will really benefit from the addition of some type of organic matter.
To find out the chemical nature of your soil you would have to use the PH scale, I'm sure you are aware of it, we all remember our high school days sitting in class waiting for the litmus paper to turn blue during those interminable science lessons. The Ph scale goes from 1-14. Below 7 (neutral), soil types are progressively acid and are known as "lime free" and above neutral they tend to get more alkaline (limy). It is possible to establish what type of soil you have simply by looking at the colour, checking out the texture, and observing what type of shrubs and plants will thrive on it or you may also do a soil test using one of the many kits that are commercially available from your garden centre. The best advice however, is to take a decent size soil sample and visit your favourite garden centre, where your exact soil type can be established.
Dense Clay
What happens with the heavy clay soil type is that the miniscule clay particles clump together, making this type of clay soil extremely slow to drain, especially after some heavy rainfall. It can become horribly sticky and will bake rock hard in the midday sun. Thankfully this type of clay is normallyvery fertile and can be improved by putting in a a half decent drainage system, or by adding grit and some coarse organic matter. Heavy clay can be a really hard to work with, as anyone who has tried digging out a pond in high summer can testify.
Sandy Soil Types
As you can imagine this type is the complete opposite of heavy clay. The sand particles are larger than the clay molecules, making sandy soil beautifully light, free draining, and quick to warm up in the spring sunshine. Some plants or shrubs may need a little more irrigation and feeding, although this can be improved by adding compost or other types of organic matter.
Lime- Free (Acidic)
Frequently referred to as peaty, these lime free soils tend to be quite dark in their appearance and very rich in organic matter. This soil type is, by it's very nature, quite acidic, and tends to hold on to moisture quite easily, however, it can be made to drain more quickly simply by adding coarse sand.
Alkaline Or Limy Soil Types
The exact opposite of lime free soil types would be the limy or alkaline soils. These soils tend to quite chalky, and will often be quite pale to look at. They will also be chock full of stones or rock particles. Free draining, they will warm up quite quickly in spring, and are moderately fertile. Like sandy soils they will really benefit from the addition of some type of organic matter.
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You can find all you need from the number 1Horticultural Consultant UK, when you stop by our website including how you can get in touch with Phillip Jeffs - Horticultural Consultant.
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