TESTING THE pH OF YOUR SOIL

Photo: The hyacinths have escaped the waterlogging.

I’ve been up to my neck in things this week. Well up to my knees in mud actually. I’ve been attempting to tidy up my herbaceous borders, but the water table seems to be getting the better of me. We have had so much rain over the last week or so, that the soil in my borders is waterlogged. I was hoping to put in some bare rooted shrubs but I think I will wait a few days until things dry up a bit. There is still time for planting bare rooted deciduous shrubs, trees and hedging for another month or so as most of the plants are just starting to show there fresh new growth, don’t plant them in a puddle though!

TESTING THE Ph OF YOUR SOIL
The soil I have been wading in this week had a high percentage of clay in it, most of it stuck to my Wellingtons and spade! If you are in any doubt about the type of soil in your garden then you can do a few tests. Firstly test the pH of the soil; pH refers to the acidity or alkalinity of the soil. There is a number scale of 1 to 14. Acid soils have a pH of below seven, neutral is pH7 and alkaline is above seven. If you buy a soil testing kit from a garden centre or D.I.Y. store then these usually rely on colour so you don’t have to worry about the pH scale too much. Acid soil turns the solution in the kit a yellow orange colour and neutral turns it green, alkaline will be dark green.

THE SIX SOIL TYPES
The bulk of soil is made up of a mixture of organic matter, rock and mineral particles, which keep the plant in place. It is the air, water and nutrients in the ground, though that the growing plant really relies upon. These are taken up by the roots and then used by the plant to form flowers and leaves.
There are six main soil types and knowing which type your garden is as well as the pH, will help you choose the type of plants to put into your beds and borders and save costly mistakes buying plants unsuitable for your garden.

LOAMY SOIL
Loamy soil is regarded as the ultimate soil as most plants will grow in it. This is brown and crumbly in texture and similar to the soil found on well-tended vegetable patches. I t is rarely waterlogged in winter or dry in summer and supports a wide range of plants. Loamy soil is light and easy to dig and is naturally high in nutrients.

CHALKY SOIL
I don’t think we see much of this around here. Chalky soil is always alkaline which will restrict the amount of plants grown in it. The soil is very free draining and is full of clumps of white chalk or flint. Chalky soil needs frequent watering in summer.

CLAY SOIL
Clay soil is sticky to handle and can easily be rolled into a ball shape. It is naturally high in nutrients. This type of soil often gets very dry in summer, with cracks appearing on the surface, making it difficult to get water to the plant roots. Yet in winter, it can be constantly wet and waterlogging is common. It is hard to dig at most times of the year. (This one sounds familiar)

SILTY SOIL
Silt soil is made up of fine grains, originally deposited by a river. The tiny particles give it a silky feeling if rubbed between the fingers. It won’t press into a ball like clay but you can make sausage shapes out of it if you have nothing better to do! . Silty soil can be badly drained, but are not prone to waterlogging.

PEATY SOIL
Some of the best farmland is peaty and most gardens round the peninsula have a high peat content. Plants grow happily in it as long as they can adjust to the relatively acid conditions, or lime can be added to balance things out by. Almost black to look at, easy to dig over and spongy to the touch, peaty soils can be soaking in winter and be bone dry during most of the summer.

SANDY SOIL
Sandy soil feels rough and gritty when handled and will not press into shapes like clay soil. It usually has a sandy brown colour and is easy to dig over. Waterlogging is rare as they are usually very free draining watering and feeding of plants is needed on a regular basis. It is quick to warm up in the spring, so sowing and planting can be done earlier in the year than with clay or silty soil. Gardens near the coastline are generally sandy soil.

Horticultural.