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The major types of soil all have different characteristics andproperties and identifying your own soil type is an essential steptowards enjoying easier, more rewarding, gardening.
For example, many plants have a marked preference for a particular soil type, so if you know which type you have, you can choose plants thatyou know will do well.
Similarly, the best methods to use forimproving or amending your garden soil are also dependent on soil type - so don't waste your time and energy using techniques that just won't work.
As always, unless you are a glutton for punishment, the key to easier gardening is to work with nature.
So take a quick look at the main types of soil you are likely toencounter, together with the advantages and disadvantages of each type,and then work out which type of soil you have in your own garden.
Broadly speaking, garden soils fall into six main categories, each namedafter the main constituents. Use the links below to jump down the pagefor a more detailed description of each type:
Clay Soil | Silty Soil | Sandy Soil | Chalk Soil | Peat Soil | Loam
Types of Soil: Clay
Clay soils contain very fine, flat particles which tend to sticktogether. They feel heavy and sticky and form a little ball when you ruba small amount between finger and thumb.
A handful of damp clay will retain the impression of your fingers and may appear shiny on the surface.
Disadvantages: When wet they are sticky and hard to work, andwhen dry they set hard and crack. They are prone to waterlogging andtend to warm up later in the spring than more open sandy soils.
Advantages: They are usually very rich in nutrients and theirtexture and workability can be improved by adding grit and bulky, verywell rotted, organic matter. Improved clay soils will support quite awide variety of plants.
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Types of Soil: Silt
Silty soils fall between clay and sand in terms of particle size, andfeel smooth, silky or soapy when rubbed between your fingers.
They may form a fairly cohesive ball in the palm of your hand although they cannot be moulded in the same way as clay.
Disadvantages: When wet they tend to pack down and become heavy,cold and poorly drained rather like clay, although not to the sameextent. They warm up quicker than clays but more slowly than sandysoils.
Advantages: They are generally quite fertile and will support a wide range of plants.
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Types of Soil: Sand
Sandy soils have a much larger particle size than clays and silts and feel quite gritty between your fingers.
If you squeeze them when wet they don't usually hold their shape.
Disadvantages: The larger particle size means they are very free draining and tend to lose nutrients easily.
Advantages: They are easy to work and warm up quickly in springso you can get your season off to a flying start. The texture andfertility can be improved by adding rich organic matter.
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Types of Soil: Chalk
Chalk soils were described by Geoff Hamilton as 'pale and hungrylooking' which sums them up really well! They feel dry and crumbly inyour hand, are usually greyish white in colour, and contain fragments ofwhite chalk.
A ball of chalky soil will collapse into fairly large particles.
Disadvantages: They tend to be very stony and shallow and willnot support deep rooted plants. They are very free draining and losenutrients easily. Importantly, these types of soil are also veryalkaline and will not support acid loving plants.
Advantages: They can be improved with the addition of organicmatter and are reasonably fertile. There is also a good range of limetolerant plants.
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Types of Soil: Peat
Peat soils have a very high organic content so are very dark, almostblack, in colour. In your hand they feel moist and spongy and are hardto roll into a ball.
If you look closely you will see that they contain many fibrous plantremains. It is relatively rare to find pure peat in a garden - afterall, who would build a house on a peat bog?
Disadvantages: In general they easily become waterlogged and areusually acidic so you will not be able to grow lime loving plants. Theacidity also means that they support only a limited range of beneficialsoil organisms.
Advantages: They are potentially very fertile and can becultivated quite intensively. The addition of lime to selected areaswill enable you to grow fruit and vegetables. You can make the most ofyour ornamental garden by growing the many beautiful acid loving plants.
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Types of Soil: Loam
In practice, most cultivated soils fall somewhere in between these broadcategories and are a blend of different particle sizes. These types ofsoil are known as 'loams'.
The main characteristics of these loams are those of the predominant mineral.
Disadvantages: Clay loams tend to be heavy and slow draining andare difficult to work when wet. In very dry conditions they harden andform surface cracks.
Sandy loams, on the other hand, are free draining. They are quite easyto work but dry out easily and nutrients are quickly lost.
Silty loams are prone to compaction and tend to settle into a dense airless mass.
Advantages: The fact that loams contain a broader range ofparticle sizes means that they do not display the extremecharacteristics and behaviour of, say, a pure clay or sandy soil, andare easier to work with.
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