More practical wisdom on soils

Here are some more practical gardening tips from "The Curious Gardener's Almanac". *Sandy soil drains quickly and therefore cannot hold on to moisture and nutrients long enough for the plant to benefit from them. Digging in organic matter will help bulk up the soil, allowing it to retain water and goodness for a lot longer. Organic matter includes garden compost, used compost from pots, grow-bags, tubs and hanging baskets, and well-rotted manure. *Loamy soil (that which is neither sandy nor clay) is best for the gardener because it drains well while retaining nutrients and water and there is enough air space for healthy root growth. *Clay soils pose the opposite problem to sandy ones because they are so compacted and sticky that the ground cannot breathe or drain effectively. Wet ground will also stunt root growth, or even rot the roots. Add gritty, pebbly sand (not the soft type used by builders and in sandpits) to the soil to improve the drainage and air circulation. * To the inexpert eye, most earth just looks brown and dirty. Ideally, you want your soil to be a roughly equal balance of clay, sand and organic matter. You can determine the nature of your soil by performing a simple experiment. Fill about a third of a clear bottle with some soil, but make sure it comes from at least one foot down as the topsoil may have had compost and other matter heaped on it over the years. Pour in another third or so of water and give the bottle a good shake before leaving it to settle. The heavier sand will sing to the bottom pretty quickly and the organic matter will float to the top, while the finer sands and clay will take much longer to settle. If you check the bottle a few hours later, you will get a good idea of what make up you soil and you can act accordingly to correct the balance. Hope this is useful info for you. Treating your earth properly is one of the most important ways to grow great plants! Have a great weekend!