Vegetables Thrive in Certain Types of Soil

Vegetable gardening requires more than just plain ol’ dirt. Vegetables grow best in certain types of soils. Seed catalogs offer great advice on which kind of soil each plant will thrive in.

Soil is a combination of sand, clay, chalk and humus. When garden soil has a good mixture of these elements it is called loam. An experienced gardener can recognize good soil by its feel. Loam will hold its shape if you gently squeeze it but crumble under too much pressure. Loam is easy to dig by hand.

You can create loam by adding the missing ingredients to your soil. Before you know what you need to add, you first need to determine what type of soil you’re starting with. The most accurate way to determine soil type is to buy a soil test kit from a local garden center. Follow the instructions on the test kit to determine the present composition of the soil. Your Country Extension Service can also help you determine your soil type.

What Are the Different Kinds of Soil?

Soils generally fall into three broad categories:

Clay soil is compact and hard when dry. When it is wet, this type of soil will feel sticky or greasy. Clay soil has poor drainage
Sandy soil feels grainy and won’t hold its shape when you squeeze it. It drains well but dries out quickly.
Chalky soil has a pH level of 7.5 or higher and is usually rocky. The pH level measures how acidic or alkaline the soil is.

Vegetable seeds grow best in well-drained soils with plenty of nutrients. The ideal soil in a vegetable garden will have a pH between 6.2 and 6.7.

To make your soil suitable for growing vegetables you may need to add sand, organic materials and nutrients. To keep plants thriving, you will need to keep adding nutrients and continue to periodically test your soil.

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