• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Contact
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • About
Gardening Step by Step

Gardening Step by Step

Actionable gardening advice for new and improving gardeners

  • Home
  • Shop
  • Beginners
  • Soil
  • Dahlias
  • Ornamental Plants
    • Perennials
    • Bamboo
    • Trees
    • Shrubs
    • Climbers
    • Bulbs
  • Edible Plants
  • My gardens
  • Weeds
  • About

A short guide to garden soil

By Martin

 

For a gardener, the garden soil is probably the single most important thing in your garden.

Everything good in the garden comes from the soil, so it’s important for gardeners, especially new gardeners, to understand their soil – we need to know the characteristics of the soil we have and we need to know how we can improve it, if necessary.

In this video you’ll find an introductory guide to garden soil covering the following topics:

  • What is soil?
  • Why does soil matter?
  • Soil texture
  • Soil structure
  • Improving soil

A short guide to garden soil

<div align=”center”

<iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/wfnextFMxUc” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

Here is a summary of what is in the video

What is soil?

Soil consists of 5 elements:

  • Mineral (rock) particles
  • Organic matter (humus, decaying plants and animals)
  • Water (soil solution)
  • Air, and
  • Living things – insects, microbes, viruses.

Why does soil matter?

The type and quality of the soil you have determines which plants you can grow and also how well your plants will grow.

We can see this in nature because, along with factors such as climate, the quality of the soil can mean the difference between a lush green landscape and a barren scrubby one.

Soil texture

All soil is not the same. Soils from different locations, even locations quite close to each other, can differ widely.

This is because:

  • In different types of soil, each of the five soil components mentioned above are present in different proportions
  • In different places, the mineral particles which make up the soil are derived from different types of rocks
  • Different plants and animal matter are present
  • Different processes of soil formation may have taken place, e.g. weathering or water erosion.

Soil texture is the central characteristic which varies between different soils. It is basically a measure of the size and proportions of different particles in the soil, that is the relative proportions of sand, silt and clay particles.

Soil texture can be described on a continuum between sand and clay, from sand through loam to clay. Thus the texture of an individual soil will be determined by the respective amounts of clay and sand content.

What difference does soil texture make?

Different soil textures give rise to different characteristics in the soil.

Sandy soils are open textured and free draining, so do not hold water or nutrients well,

Clay soils are closed textured, can be come sticky and waterlogged when wet and set hard when dry.

This is important to gardeners because all plants prefer the characteristics of particular types of soil.

For example, plants like succulents, cacti and many Mediterranean plants such as lavender and rosemary, need free draining soil. If you planted them in heavy clay they would not thrive and would probably die.

Other plants, such as potatoes, bananas or bamboo require heavier, richer soils that are more water retentive.

Most plants like moist but free draining loams. If you have soil of that type, you can grow almost anything.

Garden soil: lavender requires free draining soil
Garden soil: lavender requires free draining soil

Soil structure

Soil structure is also a fundamentally important characteristic of soil.

Soil structure is how we describe the way that all the various components of soil are combined. Generally, soil components combine to form aggregates or crumbs, with spaces in between.

The existence of these crumbs and the sizes of them determines the type of soil structure in place.

Good soil structure

Good soil structure:

  • Has small crumbs, well bound together that do not break up when wet or when dug
  • Has lots of spaces and channels between crumbs so that water and plant roots can penetrate
  • Allows air into the root spaces
  • Allows roots to grow easily
  • Allows water to be made available to roots but also to drain away.

Poor soil structure

Soil with poor structure:

  • Lacks small crumbs or aggregates
  • Is hard and compacted or consists of large lumps
  • Cannot be easily dug, but may be eroded by rain water or wind
  • Means plant roots, air and water cannot easily penetrate.

Improving soil

Whether soil is sandy or clay, you can always improve soil structure with the addition of plentiful organic matter – compost, leaf mulch etc.

Sandy soils can be improved with the addition of clay topsoils.

Clay soils can be improved with substantial amounts of sand or grit, or sometimes with gypsum.

Improving garden soil is an ongoing process for gardeners and is a big subject in itself that will be covered in more detail in future posts.

Remember, nurture your soil it and it will repay you well.

 

Share this post: on Twitter on Facebook

Filed Under: Soil Tagged With: videos

About the Author

Gardening step by step - Martin

I'm Martin Cole and I'm an avid gardener who loves to talk and write about gardening.

I'm an Englishman and former BBC Gardener of the Year finalist. I'm a bit of an International gardener, as I have gardened in London, Australia and, currently, Scotland.

Although conditions differ around the world, gardening principles are the same everywhere and I want to share my gardening enthusiasm and know-how with everybody who has been bitten by the gardening bug and wants to know more.

Gardening Step by Step is aimed at new and improving gardeners, as well as those with a bit more gardening experience, and is designed to bring you clear actionable step by step gardening advice and tips. It is also a place for reflection and gardening conversation. So please use the comments section to join in.

Reader Interactions

Trackbacks

  1. Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’: Japanese Garden Star says:
    February 17, 2020 at 4:34 am

    […] tolerates most soils but prefers those that are moist, fertile and well drained. It is hardy down to -15 degrees C and […]

    Reply
  2. Aucuba Japonica Crotonoifolia: hardy, architectural evergreen shrub says:
    February 20, 2020 at 5:34 pm

    […] tolerant of salt winds, pollution and all but the most waterlogged soils. Their preference is for reliably moist soils, rich in organic […]

    Reply
  3. Soil texture: digging deeper into the soil in your garden says:
    February 22, 2020 at 6:36 pm

    […] indicated in our introduction to garden soil, perhaps the two most important characteristics of soil that you need to understand are soil […]

    Reply
  4. What are weeds? says:
    March 14, 2020 at 6:42 pm

    […] in soil type, or the availability of light and/or water that that may be present in adjoining properties or even […]

    Reply
  5. Removing turf for garden beds - Gardening Step by Step says:
    March 15, 2020 at 9:31 pm

    […] Nevertheless, this was a lot easier than removing about 20 square metres of turf and should ultimately be better for the soil. This is because all the organic material in the turf is retained, and adding the layer of compost between the grass and the sheeting is also likely to attract worms and other soil fauna. Their activity will help improve the soil structure. […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

More to See

Sneeboer Dutch hoe

How to choose the best garden hoe for weeding

The curated garden – the best gardening blogs

Reflections on the gardening year 2020

tulips in garden

How to plant tulips: a complete tulip growing guide

Achillea, Dahlia, Sedum

New Garden by the Sea – First Summer

Tomatoes not ripening

Tomatoes not ripening? Here is what to do

Single Basil plant

How to grow Basil to get the best out of your plants

September garden - Rudbeckia

The September Garden: Six on Saturday

Subscribe to our Newsletter!

Sign up below to receive updates, special offers of products and services and notifications of new content

Your details will handled in accordance with our privacy policy

The Curated Garden

The curated garden – the best gardening blogs

Categories

  • Beginners
  • Edible Plants
  • Garden Tools
    • Hand Tools
    • Powered Tools
  • Gardening news
  • Gardening Reflections
  • My gardens
  • Ornamental Plants
    • Bamboo
    • Bulbs
    • Climbers
    • Perennials
    • Shrubs
    • Trees
  • Readers Gardening
  • Six on Saturday
  • Soil
  • The Gardening Year
  • Weeds

Disclosure

This site has affiliate relationships with certain merchants or service providers. This means that where you see a link to a product or service, then it is likely that we will be paid a commission if you click on the link and go on to buy a product or service from that provider. These are called affiliate links. For the sake of simplicity, please assume that a link that takes you to a page where you can buy or sign up for a product (e.g. on Amazon) or a service is an affiliate link and that I will earn a commission on qualifying purchases.

Footer

Important Information

  • Contact Gardening Step by Step
  • Terms of Use
  • Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies Policy
  • About

Recent

  • The February garden: here’s what to do
  • How to choose the best garden hoe for weeding
  • The curated garden – the best gardening blogs
  • Reflections on the gardening year 2020
  • How to plant tulips: a complete tulip growing guide

Search

Tags

Albizia bare root begonia borders bulbs Cannas Catalpa dahlias dianthus flowers gardens herbs hoe how to grow image posts impatiens Instagram narcissus nicotiana organic Partial shade pink seeds Shade spring Sun tomatoes Tropical plants tubers Two step gardening tips videos

Copyright © 2021 · Magazine Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Subscribe to the Gardening Step by Step Newsletter

Sign up below to receive updates, occasional offers of products or services and notifications of new content*.

*Your details are handled in accordance with our privacy policy

x