The Different Types of Soil

The soil is an essential part of any garden. It is where the plants are cultivated, and if the soil is of a good quality, the plants that grow there are evidently good as well. While one can’t find the perfect soil for the perfect garden all of the time, combining different types of soils can produce the same effect. Below is a list of the common soil types and what they do.

1. Sand – this type of soil is known for its lack of ability to hold water. This can be good in a way since this quality helps prevent the roots of plants from getting soaked in water for a very long time. The only downside is that one has to water the plants more often than other soil types.

2. Clay – gets very sticky when wet. While this type of soil can hold nutrients very well, it is unable to let in air and water very well which could be detrimental to plants.

3. Silt – is somewhat of a cross between clay and sand. This type of soil holds a lot of nutrients like clay and doesn’t retain water well just like sand.

4. Loam – is the most ideal type of soil because almost every type of plants will grow on this. It is because loam is formulated using a good balance of sand, clay and silt. Just like silt and clay, it holds nutrients well. As for water retention, it is midway between sand and clay since loam can hold water pretty well without draining it as easily as sand would.