2 June 2010

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BBC Homepage
Lifestyle
Gardening
Part One
Part Two

Are
you
sign Introduction
ed
Kn Assessing your plot
in?
ow Analysing your soil
Ass
Go There are six main soil types: Soil types
yo
ess
her
An Soil ph
ur
e
ing
alySoi • Clay Drawing a survey
plo
for
yo
lsin
mor Test your knowledge
tSoi
ur • Sandy Go further
typ
e
g
l ph
plo
es
info
Dr • Silty
yo
trma
awi
Tes
ur
ng
tion • Peaty
t
soi
a
yo • Chalky
lsur
Go
ur
fur
vey
Pla
kn • Loamy
the
nt
owl
Int
rlist
ed
era
s
ge
ctiv Clay soil
Glo
es
ssa
Cre • Feels lumpy and sticky
ry
dit when very wet
Pro
s Plants for different
gra • Rock-hard when dry soil types:
m
Hel
me • Clay drains poorly • Plants for clay soil
p
Ga
inf
wit • Few air spaces • Plants for sandy soil
rde
or
Sit
h
nin
ma • Warms slowly in spring © • Plants for silty soil
e
plu
g
tio
ma
gin • Heavy to cultivate • Plants for acid soil
ne
n
p
s
wsl • If drainage is improved, Contact Us • Plants for alkaline soil
ett plants grow well as it • Plants for loamy soil
er Like this page?
holds more nutrients thanSend it to a friend!
many other soils
Find thousands more plants in
the BBC Gardening database.

Plants for clay soil.

Soil, what's it all

about?
• The origins of soil
• Organic manure
Sandy soil
• Free-draining soil
• Gritty to the touch
• Warms up quickly in
spring
• Easy to cultivate
• Dries out rapidly
Test your knowledge of planting
in different lighting conditions.
Or find out how to test your
soil.
© Requires Flash 5

• May lack nutrients, which

are easily washed through
the soil in wet weather
(often called a "hungry"
soil.)

Plants for sandy soil.