Growing Results Using Different Types of Dirt

It takes 500 years to make 2 inches of topsoil.

Dirt is a pretty complex mixture of minerals, nutrients, organic matter, microscopic organisms and soil. Most soils in the home garden are defined by their texture, or how fine or coarse they are. The state of your native soil -- fine coarse or somewhere in between -- is an element in a recipe that you can tweak to get exactly what you need to get plants to grow most effectively. So while there isn't necessarily a perfect type of soil, there are things you can add to make your soil perfect for growing.

Soil Texture

Soil texture is perhaps the most basic element of viability. Soils that are primarily clay based are often too dense to allow water to drain through them. The result is roots that are either not getting enough water or are left sitting in water that doesn't drain away. Either way, the result is poor growth and the potential for diseases like root rot. On the other hand, soil that is primarily sand will allow water and nutrients to drain away from the roots too quickly. Roots are then left dry and starved of nutrients. Loam is essentially the perfect mixture of clay and sand that allows water to drain away from the roots, but not too quickly.

Topsoil

Topsoil is the result of hundreds of years of weathering on rocks and organic matter. Topsoil is nutrient rich and available in many garden centers. Although gardeners often buy it to help improve their soil conditions, purchased topsoil isn't regulated and can actually be bad for your garden. Ask questions when you purchase topsoil to find out where it came from. Find out if there are chemicals in it, like herbicides, that might inhibit growth. Ask if it was tested for pH. A suitable pH for top soil is between 5.5 and 7.5, according to the University of New Hampshire. If the garden center where you plan to purchase top soil doesn't know this information, ask for a sample. With a sample you can perform your own tests and try to germinate seeds to determine the presence of herbicides.

Soil Testing

One way to determine exactly what you need to do to make your soil suitable for growing is to have soil tests done. Soil tests can tell you your soil pH, what nutrients are present and which are missing. This information is important and can help you achieve results. For example, if you have soil with a high nitrogen content and then add high nitrogen fertilizer, you'll have plants with a lot of green leafy growth and no flowers. This is equally bad for vegetables and ornamentals. Most county extensions can help you with information regarding soil tests, including where to get them and how to take samples.

Soil Amendments

Once you've examined your soil's texture and had soil testing done, you'll know what you need to add to optimize growth. There are two basic groups of soil amendments: organic and inorganic. Organic amendments come from living or once living things, like compost, manure, leaf litter or wood chips. Organic amendments can improve the texture of the soil, but also add nutrients. Inorganic amendments, like sand, pea gravel or recycled rubber from tires can help improve texture, but don't add anything else. For this reason, organic amendments are usually preferable to inorganic amendments. Soil testing can help you determine which amendments to use as they don't all have the same nutrient value.

References

• Purdue University Consumer Horticulture; What is Loam?; B. Rosie Lerner
• Ohio State University Extension; Improving Soils for Vegetable Gardening; Maryanne Riofrio, et al.
• University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension; Purchasing Top Soil; Richard Uncles, et al.
• Colorado State University Extension; Choosing a Soil Amendment; J. G. Davis, et al.
• Virginia Cooperative Extension; Soil Sampling for the Home Gardener; Joseph R. Hunnings, et al.