How Does Soil Affect a Garden?
- There are three main types of soil--clay, loam and sandy soils. Some soils may be a mixture of sand and loam, which are ideal for growing a garden. Loamy soils need coarse sand added to provide spaces between its crumbly texture to allow for drainage. Heavy clay soils clump together, holding water and eliminating root aeration. Sandy-loam soils maintain a balance, retaining sufficient water to support plant life, while at the same time affording adequate drainage to prevent root rot.
- Clay soil is heavy and yellow with fine particles that hold water. Clay sticks together when you squeeze it in your hand and is hard to wash off your boots and hands after rain showers. Planting a garden in clay soil results in a lack of aeration to plant roots and root rot through lack of drainage. Clay soil cannot adequately support a garden without the addition of plenty of organic matter, such as straw, bark chips, manure and coarse sand worked well into the soil to a depth of 8 to 10 inches. The addition of more organic and inorganic material each year greatly improves soil health and garden productivity. Test the Ph of your soil with a soil testing kit; the Ph should be between 6.0 and 6.8. If the soil is a little on the alkaline side (berries love alkaline soil), add either wood ashes or lime to adjust the balance.
- Sandy soil doesn't hold water and tends to be continually dry. Sandy soil dries out quickly after heavy rainfall and is subject to erosion. The addition of conditioners, including organic and inorganic materials, such as bark chips, straw or sawdust, sand, manure and lime are necessary for the soil to retain enough water to sustain plant life. Organic and inorganic materials ensure root aeration and the necessary soil depth conducive to optimum plant growth.
- The addition of organic materials helps aerate the soil, making its texture fluffy and light. Soil enrichment and many essential plant nutrients are supplied using this practice and are released during the breakdown of organic materials, affording optimum growth potential to plants.
