When trying to get things to grow in your garden, one thing that can help you plant the right things and keep them alive, is knowing what type of soil you have and how to tell. There are several different types of soil and they all have their varying qualities.
• Clay soils- are heavy soils that drain slowly, can be fertile, and take longer to warm up in spring. They are easily compacted when wet and bake hard in summer.
• Sandy soils- are light soils that have mostly sand, but a little clay, little nutrients and drain quickly after rain or watering. They warm up and dry up quickly.
• Silt soils- are fertile, fairly well draining and easily compacted.
• Loams- are a mixture of clay, sand and silt, are well-drained, fertile and easily worked.
• Peat soils- are very fertile, mostly consisting of organic matter and hold moisture well.
• Chalky or lime-rich soils- can be light or heavy but mostly consist of calcium carbonate and very alkaline.
Regardless of your soil type, once you have identified which you have, it can make it easier to know what to do to improve it, if you need to, or to know what sorts of plants will be best suited for that soil type.