There are a huge number of factors to bear in mind when you are looking to establish your garden, however, in our experience one of the most overlooked is exactly what type of soil your garden is made up of. This is a basic fundamental of gardening. Put simply, the elements contained within your soil will make it either heavy, which will make the soil appear to be very wet and poorly drained, or light which, obviously means the reverse is true. Light soil is dry and will drain effectively. This 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 you will find with heavy clay is that the tiny clay particles stick together, making this type of soil very slow draining, especially after a heavy rain shower. It also becomes very sticky and is likely to bake rock hard in dry sun. Heavy clay can be extremely fertile and can of course be improved by putting in a decent draining system, or by adding some coarse organic matter. Heavy clay can be a total nightmare to work with, as anybody who has tried to dig out a pond in high summer can attest to.
Sand
Obviously, this would be the polar opposite of heavy clay in that the sand molecules are much bigger than clay, making sandy soils very light, free draining, and quick to warm up in the spring. Some types of plants may need irrigation and feeding, although this can be easily remedied by adding compost or other types of organic matter.
Acidic - Lime Free
You may often hear it referred to as peaty, lime free soils are fairly dark in appearance and seem to be rich in organic matter. This type of soil is acidic in nature and will retain moisture quite easily, however, it can be made to be more free draining simply by adding some coarse sand.
Limy Soil
The polar opposite of lime free soil types would be the limy or alkaline soils. They include chalk, and will often be pale in appearance and chock full of stones or rock particles. Free draining, they will warm up quickly in spring, and are moderately fertile. Like sandy soils they will benefit from the addition 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 you will find with heavy clay is that the tiny clay particles stick together, making this type of soil very slow draining, especially after a heavy rain shower. It also becomes very sticky and is likely to bake rock hard in dry sun. Heavy clay can be extremely fertile and can of course be improved by putting in a decent draining system, or by adding some coarse organic matter. Heavy clay can be a total nightmare to work with, as anybody who has tried to dig out a pond in high summer can attest to.
Sand
Obviously, this would be the polar opposite of heavy clay in that the sand molecules are much bigger than clay, making sandy soils very light, free draining, and quick to warm up in the spring. Some types of plants may need irrigation and feeding, although this can be easily remedied by adding compost or other types of organic matter.
Acidic - Lime Free
You may often hear it referred to as peaty, lime free soils are fairly dark in appearance and seem to be rich in organic matter. This type of soil is acidic in nature and will retain moisture quite easily, however, it can be made to be more free draining simply by adding some coarse sand.
Limy Soil
The polar opposite of lime free soil types would be the limy or alkaline soils. They include chalk, and will often be pale in appearance and chock full of stones or rock particles. Free draining, they will warm up quickly in spring, and are moderately fertile. Like sandy soils they will benefit from the addition of organic matter.
About the Author:
Learn more about the number 1 Horticultural Consultant in the UK. Stop by our site where you can find what's on offer from a real Plant Specialist both here in the UK and worldwide.