Planning a Vegetable Garden

Posts Tagged ‘Types of Soil’

There are several different types of soils that you might encounter in your garden.  Most have advantages, as well as disadvantages.  No soil type is a total loss — you can grow vegetables with a little help.

Sandy

The first type of soil I’ll talk about is sandy.  If you have it, you know it; light soil that sifts through your hands easily.  Dig a hole a foot deep and fill it with water.  Come back and hour later and check for any standing water; if the hole is dry, you have sand.

• Advantage:  The good thing is that this kind of soil is very well-drained; water doesn’t stand for long (if at all).
• Disadvantage:  Because water drains so well, it doesn’t keep nutrients near to the plants.  Nor does water stay accessible, and it dries out fast.

Solution:  Add humus to sandy soils; compost, sphagnum moss, earthworm castings all help to hold water and fertilizer closer to the roots.

Clay

Clay soil is the flip side of sandy.  Clay drains slowly, which can be a real problem in wet climates, as standing water can be the death knell for vegetables.  Dig a hole a foot deep and fill it with water.  Come back an hour later and if there is still water in the hole, you know you have clay.

• Advantage:  In a dry-ish climate, clay helps to hold water closer to the roots.
• Disadvantage:  In a very dry climate, clay can bake in the sun and prevents water from getting to the veggies.  In wet climates, clay drains so slowly that plants can drown.  If it’s a really heavy clay, root vegetables such as carrots and potatoes will have a very tough time growing (if they grow at all).

Solution:  Incorporate a small amount of sand and a goodly amount of humus to lighten the clay.  Compost is tops.

Thin / Rocky

In some parts of the country the soil cover is thin and rocky.  If you have it, you know it right away!  Just try digging and you hit rock within a few inches.

• Advantage:  This is a case where there isn’t much of an advantage, unless the soil you have is a nice loam (see next soil type).
• Disadvantage:  Roots can’t go very deep before they hit rocks, so it makes it very difficult for vegetables to get a decent foothold.  This means they are extremely vulnerable to drought.

Solution:  Grow your veggies in containers or raised beds, and incorporate plenty of humus.

Loam

If you have a loam soil type your are blessed indeed!  Loam is a just-right mixture of sand, clay and humus — vegetables love it and thrive.  There are no disadvantages to this type of soil.  Pick up a just-damp handful and squeeze it; it holds its shape briefly before crumbling.  Gorgeous!

Types of Soil for Your Garden

There really isn’t any soil type that can’t be used for growing a vegetable garden, with a little help in most cases.  Compost can be used to enrich any soil, even if it doesn’t seem to need it (like loam). 

You can make your own compost or buy it in bags.  If you have a small garden, buying a few bags may be the way to go.  If you have a larger garden, you’ll want to make your own compost, as buying enough bags every year can get pricey.