The Simple Secret to Gardening Success

The base soil in this garden is likely very sandy, but improved soil with improved drainage and added nutrients is used in raised beds to grow vegetables. Gravel was added to the path to prevent erosion. If you’re planting directly in the ground, perform a soil test to determine your native soil type and select plants that will grow well in that soil. Learn how to determine your soil type below.

Soils can be described in three slope categories: sand, clay, and silt. Two common soil types are sandy loam and silty clay. The mixture or composition of different particle types gives soil its unique texture. Because of the structural and textural differences between soil types, water moves through each type in different ways. Plant roots also grow and respond to different types of soil depending on their structure.

Bog gardens display rings of different plant species depending on the water level in the soil. Wetlands and bogs typically have very high organic matter accumulations that impede drainage.

Soil type

Sand. Sandy soils have very good water drainage because sand particles are the largest soil component. The problem with sandy soil is that it drains too quickly and doesn’t retain enough moisture or nutrients for plants to grow. Plants that are drought tolerant and can exist in nutrient- poor soils are best suited to sandy soils.

Learn more about gardening in dry sandy soil. (Add Support Links)
Clay. Heavy clay soils do not drain well. With clay, the dirt particles are small and stick together, leaving no air spaces for water to penetrate. Therefore, the main problem with clay soils is poor drainage. There are many plants that can tolerate clay soil, and most native plants can tolerate the clay soil characteristics of a particular region.

Some areas have clay soils that expand when wet called expansive clays and contract significantly when dry. Another sign of clay is that the surface cracks when the soil dries. Clay soils also tend to compact easily, making water infiltration difficult.

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Silt. Silty soils are typically found in areas where sediments are transported by rivers or streams. River floodplains typically have a layer of silt deposited over time by floods. The silt in this area creates very fertile soil. Soil with a high silt content is smooth to the touch and does not stick to your fingers like clay.

Silty soil can be a great garden soil because it is rich in minerals and nutrients. The disadvantage of silt is that it can be easily compressed. Plants native to riparian ecosystems and lowland forests thrive in silty soils.

Fertile land. A mixture of 40% sand, 20% silt, and 40% clay is called loam. Good loam soil is the easiest to garden because it retains moisture for plants, drains well, and has good structure. An ideal soil structure has a variety of soil particle sizes to allow air to occupy the spaces between soil particles and provide oxygen to the root zone. Plant roots actually need oxygen to effectively absorb water and nutrients.

Thin soil. In mountainous and rocky coastal areas, soil may be embedded between exposed bedrock. The soil present in these pockets may be gravelly and may lack the ability to hold large amounts of water or nutrients. These are very difficult soil conditions for gardening. A pioneer species, this plant can survive even drought and thin soil. If your climate is dry, experiment with succulents and sedum. If you live in the Pacific Northwest or coastal Maine, consider growing a garden with moss and lichens.

 DIY soil type test

Pick up a handful of damp soil, squeeze it in your fist, and then release it. In this example using Midwestern clay soil from my garden, the soil held its shape even after I stretched my finger. This is a clear sign of clay.

If you squeeze your soil and have a hard time holding its shape or sticking together, you likely have sandy soil. Very sandy soil will fall off your fingertips when you squeeze it.
In the example here, I did the same DIY soil test using dark, rich material from my own vegetable garden. The soil in the beds was amended with compost.