There are a bewildering array of elements to bear in mind when you areseeking to establish your garden, however, what we have found in our experience is that one of the most overlooked is exactly what type of soil your garden is made up of. This is a key fundamental of gardening. Put quite simply, the elements contained within your soil will make it either one of the following. Heavy, which will make the soil seem very wet and poorly drained, or light which, obviously means the reverse is true. Light soil tends to be dry and will drain effectively. This will ultimately determine what types of plants or shrubs 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.
Clay
What tends to happen with heavy clay is that the minute clay particles stick together, making this type of clay soil very slow draining, especially after heavy rain. It also becomes very sticky and very likely to bake rock hard in dry sun. Heavy clay can be very fertile and can of course be improved by putting in a clever draining system, or by adding grit or coarse organic matter. Heavy clay can be a complete nightmare to work with, as anyone who has tried digging out a pond in high summer can testify.
Sandy Soils
This would be the complete opposite of heavy clay in that the sand particles are much larger than clay, making sandy soils wonderfully light, free draining, and quick to warm up in spring. Some plants may need irrigation and feeding, although this can be improved with adding compost or other types of organic matter.
Acidic - Lime Free
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
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.
Clay
What tends to happen with heavy clay is that the minute clay particles stick together, making this type of clay soil very slow draining, especially after heavy rain. It also becomes very sticky and very likely to bake rock hard in dry sun. Heavy clay can be very fertile and can of course be improved by putting in a clever draining system, or by adding grit or coarse organic matter. Heavy clay can be a complete nightmare to work with, as anyone who has tried digging out a pond in high summer can testify.
Sandy Soils
This would be the complete opposite of heavy clay in that the sand particles are much larger than clay, making sandy soils wonderfully light, free draining, and quick to warm up in spring. Some plants may need irrigation and feeding, although this can be improved with adding compost or other types of organic matter.
Acidic - Lime Free
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
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.
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