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A Little Something to Know About Your Garden Soil
Dirt is actually not the correct term to describe that complex
growing media that plants need to…well…grow. Soil is composed of bacteria and microorganisms
that help decompose organic matter into nutrients that enrich the soil. As gardeners will tell, some
soils are better than others for growing various different types of plants. Depending on your
conditions, your garden soil may need some help
Clay soil is known as a heavy soil. When wet, its particles clump
together making it impervious to both water and plants. When clay soil becomes dry, it stays hard
and cracks. Consequently, clay soil delights in air and the soil needs to be loosened. Most
gardeners will add peat moss or humus to their clay soil in order to prevent the particles from
sticking together and will allow water to drain through it.
Sandy soils are composed of the largest particles found in soils.
Sandy soil has such excellent drainage that often its problem is an inability to retain moisture for
good plant growth. Again, humus or peat moss can remedy this situation.
A silt soil is generally a good growing soil—its particles are in sizes between those of clay and
sand. A loam soil is usually excellent for plants. It is open, retains moisture well and has a good
structure. Loam is the gardener’s joy.
At Rogue Valley Soil Testing we will literally take you soil apart
and find out what's in and in what proportions. From the information you give
us we will return recommendations to accomplish your goals.
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