11 Shares

Elements To Good Garden Soil

The soil is the storehouse for all good things. Knowledge of the elements to good garden soil is the key to growing strong and healthy garden plants.

Three Elements To Good Soil

There are three elements all garden soil should have, a healthy balance of each will provide the best possible outcome for your garden plants.

1.) Sand

Sand soil is made up of small broken rock masses. You can tell this soil apart from others by its lightness. Lightness doesn’t mean by color or weight but by the looseness of the soil.

2.) Clay

Clay soil is sticky and holds clumps and masses. It has a tendency to cake, crack and bake in the hot sun. The soil is considered heavy soil..

3. Humus

Humus soil is largely made up of dead and decayed animal and plant matter. The soil is dark and rich in color.

Amending Garden Soil

If you have too much of one kind of the above soil you could run into issues during your garden season.

Too Much Sand in Soil?

If you have too much sand in your soil the water will drain too quickly. How do you improve sandy soil? Add something to bind the loose soil sand particles together. Humus (manure) is a good choice. Spread about 2-4 inches deep and spade it into the sand.

Too Much Clay in Soil?

Clay absorbs water and that is a good thing in the garden. Although soil containing too much clay will sometimes squeeze together so tightly that it will shut out the air the soil needs to flourish and create standing water.

1.) Add Lime

In the fall turn the clay soil well, allowing air to circulate into the soil. Consider adding Garden Lime to sweeten up the soil a bit too.

2.) Add Sand

Sand would be an excellent choice to lighten the soil in the spring that has too much clay.

Too Much Humus in Soil?

This is where things get a little tricky. We are getting into the chemical side of gardening. It isn’t difficult to learn by any means. There are many chemicals in soil that act as food sources for plants. But, only three are essentials to growing healthy plants they are: Nitrogen , Potash , and Phosphorus. Those three regulate the humus in your soil.

1.) Nitrogen

The source of nitrogen is manure. Nitrogen provides the food source to grow healthy green leaves and stalks. If foliage looks sick and not strong then Nitrogen Fertilizer is needed in your soil. Lettuce is a good example of a plant that needs nitrogen.

2.) Potash

Make plump fruit. If your fruit is small and of poor quality, then potash will need to be added. Sources of potash are Calcium Nitrate , Sulfate of Potash – Organic, or wood ashes.

3.) Phosphorus

Phosphorus helps the plants grow blooms that turn into the fruits of the plant. To add phosphorus to your soil add bone ash or Phosphate.

Just Starting A Garden? Start Here

Decided on a Garden Type
Choosing a Location For Your Garden
Prepping An Area For a Garden
Test Your Garden Soil For Lead If Up Against an Old Painted Building
Fish Pellets as Fertilizer
Use Less Soil in Your Planting Containers
Growing Herbs

Additional Posts

AFFILIATE POLICY: Posts on this site may contain links to outside vendors that pay me a commission when you purchase from them, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting this site!