The soil you should use in your garden depends a lot on what you want to plant in it, what climate you live in, and how you structured your garden. There are several factors involved in choosing the right soil, and this article aims to settle the basics when it comes to gardening soil.
Why Choose the Right Soil?
When someone picks up gardening, they are surely delighted thinking of all the flowers, vegetables, or succulents they will plant instead of pondering on the types of soil they could use. But choosing the correct type is very important, as it will directly influence the health of your plants and your success as a gardener.
The type of soil that your chosen plants will thrive in has a few main characteristics you want to look into before planting:
- Texture: some soils are compact, like clay-based soils, while others easily let the water flow through them because of a higher content of sand or pumice.
- Nutrition: rich soils are best for plants that need plenty of food to grow, while other plants are adapted to sandy, more barren soils.
- Destination: will you use this soil in your vegetable garden bed, for starting seedlings, or for your potted indoor plants?
Main Types of Soil
Let’s go through the main types of soil to give you an idea of what you might find on the market:
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Clay Soil
These soils are typically heavy and don’t let the water flow through them easily. They are able to sustain the roots, but not all plants will thrive in this type of soil.
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Sandy Soil
Best suitable for drought-resistant plants, sandy soils are coarse and don’t hold up nutrition very well. However, certain plants thrive in this type of soil, like butterfly weed, wormwood, but also veggies like potatoes, carrots, or lettuce.
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Loamy Soil
This is a type of dark, acidic soil that is fantastic for growing berry shrubs, climbers, bamboo, and most kinds of vegetables. It’s a great soil for planting outdoors.
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Potting Soil
These soils are a mix of sand, peat moss, limestone, and nutrients. Commercial potting soil, like our Big Rootz Soil, is balanced to give your indoor and outdoor plants the nutrition they need, space to grow their roots, and plenty of drainage to avoid rot.
What Kind of Soil Do You Need?
If you are not sure which type of soil would best suit the plants you want to plant, contact The Soil King and our friendly staff will guide you towards the best option for your indoor or outdoor garden.