Are You Planting for your Garden

Have you got problems with your plants?

Are you struggling to get them to

well

grow?

A lot goes in to making plants grow

but have you considered

that you might not be planting correctly

for your soil type?

There are actually six different types of soil

they all work a little differently

and some are only good for certain plants

So stop trying to fight nature

read on

and learn how to plant for your garden

Right, here are the six types of soil

Loamy Soil

Peat Soil

Silt Soil

Sand Soil

Clay Soil

Chalky Soil

LOAMY SOIL

about the best soil you can get

good colour, good nutrients, good water drainage and good drainage

if you have loamy soil you are in luck,

you can grow most things

PEAT SOIL

Dark, damp and spongey

Decomposition is slow so you might need to add nutrients to the soil

It also holds water so you may need to improve drainge.

Final note it tends to be acidic

So alkaline loving plants will struggle

Peaty soil is great for

Lantern Trees

Witch Hazel, Heather, Rhododendron

Camellia and Azalea

Legumes and Root Veggies

SILT SOIL

Quite granular between clay and sand

fertile, compacts easily and holds moisture well

common around current or ex rivers, lakes etc

Perfect for Willow, Dogwood and Cyprus

Smoke Tree, Butterfly Bush, Japanese Barberry

Crocus, Snowflake, Ferns

Most veggies and fruits

SAND SOIL

Clues in the name, there is plenty of sand in this soil

Which means it drains too much so struggles with water retention

That drainage can also flush away the nutrients

It warms up early in Spring for early planting

But can dry out in summer

Pine, Yew, Cedar, Acer all do well here

Juniper, Leylandii, Artemisia

Tulips, Lupine, Hibiscus

Carrots, Parsnips, Potato, Strawberrys

CLAY SOIL

We get plenty of this where we live in Derbyshire

Full of minerals which is great

But can become water logged in winter

and bakes to a crust in too much summer sun

Birch, Hawthorne and Magnolia find a way with this soil

Buddleja, Hydrangea and Forsythia

Hosta, Aster and Hellebore

Pumpkins, Onions, Leeks

CHALK SOIL

Large grained and stoney

Free draining, usually with hard bedrock underneath

Alkaline soil so great for alkaline loving plants

Good for Oak, Apple and Flowering Cherry Trees

Mock Oranges and Cotoneaster

Lilac, Lavender, Cistus

Spinach, Beets and Sweetcorn

How do you know what soil your garden has?

well just check out the handy video

on our Facebook page here