Copper Tape

This is a common method to deter slugs, as the trail causes a reaction and will put them off of coming any closer. This is a good and harmless way to keep them away from your lawn or plants. Simply stick down as a border around plant pots or your lawn and it will act as an invisible wall for snails.

Beer Trap

Slugs love the scent of beer, which is why beer traps are a great way to get rid of them. Simply any cheap beer poured into a small container will lure them into climbing in and drowning. Place the trap near to a spot where you commonly see them hang out at, and check daily to see how effective it has been. Dispose of dead creatures in compost, or leave them out for the wildlife to eat.

If you do not have access to beer, or want to save money, you can mix yeast, flour, sugar and water together and they will like it just as much.

Crushed Eggshells

These can be used as a barrier as the sharp texture will draw snails away. Dry in the oven and crush in a blender, and place around what you want to protect, and slugs should avoid passing it. Make sure you prepare the shells properly, as egg residue could draw even worse pests, like rodents, to visit.

Hand picking

This is the most simple way to keep snails and slugs away, as moving them off of your lawn will slow them down. We recommend avoiding this if you can, as they will likely come back.

Luring Predators

Luring predators like birds can be effective, as slugs are prey and will get eaten. The best way is to offer them food in bird feeders (seeds, berries, worms), or you could plant things that birds are attracted to, especially berries. This is not the quickest way, but may pair well with beer traps.

Slug Pellets

If you are not having any luck, you can use slug pellets. They are the most effective, killing them quickly, but they are dangerous to wildlife and should only be used in a dedicated growing room where children and pets do not have access.

Fertilising

Now would be a perfect time to apply a granulated fertiliser, as it will supply the grass with important nutrients, supporting many things like strong root development. These slow releasing fertilisers provide consistent feeding over a long amount of time, making them an important thing for active lawn care and giving great help towards a bright lawn.

Seaweed

Seaweed is not a replacement for fertiliser, but it will assist soil structure for the best root development and enhance the intake of nutrients from the fertiliser. Instead of delivering its own nutrients, seaweed works by improving the absorption of elements already in the soil or from fertiliser. Improved intake will support stronger and healthier growth in your grass and will support better root development by improving the structure and biology of the soil you do not see.

Seaweed products, usually applied as liquid, can be used consistently across the year, ideally every 2 weeks, to assist the lawn. This will also treat the living foundation under the grass, assisting benefits of both treatments. This combination will help your lawn stand up to the stress of summer, resulting in a healthier and brighter lawn.

Watering

As the heat of summer comes in, you should also water your lawn properly. Watering doesn’t just keep it hydrated but also boosts the effectiveness of those treatments. Both need moisture to activate and soak in, so consistent and deep watering will help carry the nutrients to the roots where they will be properly absorbed.

Without water, fertiliser can sit on the surface and be weaker, and seaweed will not kick in properly. Watering early in the morning once or twice a week and giving a deep watering instead of a light spray is the most effective thing to do. You will be supporting both the grass and the treatments, making the most of your resources during this summer.

Scarifying Information

To know if you need to scarify, there are ways to figure that out, including if your garden has strong weed growth. The best time to scarify is March to September, and the daily temperature should be between 14 and 20 ° C, which is usually normal in spring and autumn. Scarifying should be avoided in summer, when the lawn is used and gets a lot of heat. You should also avoid winter.

In spring, the time between March and May is the best. If you want to use your lawn in summer, you should do maintenance in spring. as it means that your grass has a few weeks of rest after treatment. You should scarify as early as possible, and you should not wait too long. May is often very warm and dry, that is why additional irrigation is necessary so that the sward closes quickly. There are two ways for scarifying in spring, which will be listed here:

Start lawn care with scarifying before the lawn starts growing properly. After scarifying, fertilize the lawn and mow to normal height a week or two later.

Or you could start lawn care with fertilizing. Then mow your lawn to normal height. As soon as the second lawn mowing is due 2 weeks later, it is the right time to scarify.

Scarifying the lawn a second time a year should take place in autumn from September to October. The temperature should be warm, but no longer hot. The second pass with the scarifier removes moss, weeds and lawn felt, preparing the lawn for winter. You should choose the time of lawn care, so that the lawn still has time to recover before winter rest.

You should only scarify when the lawn is dry. If the soil is too wet, the scarifier might tear out healthy plants. Mow the lawn to a height of two centimeters just before scarifying, this is usually the lowest setting of the lawnmower. Before moving on the scarifier, you should remove larger stones from the lawn. Otherwise these could be thrown up by the scarifier and hit you, which is very dangerous.

Scarifying Right

First set the working depth correctly. The right depth for scarifying depends on the soil and the degree of matting of your lawn, which should be between 3-20mm. Then go lengthways across the surface, making a pattern. Make sure that you move the scarifier quickly and do not stand in one place for long, as it could damage the ground too much. When changing direction, push the bar down so that the blades lift, making it easier and better on the lawn

Scarifying Aftercare

If your scarifier does not pick up moss in a grass catcher, use a rake. The deeper you scarify, the more it takes from the ground and the more the collector has to be emptied. Then it is better to work without a grass catcher and then collect the waste with a rake. Sow bald spots directly with fresh lawn seeds, sprinkle lawns on heavy soil with a thin layer of construction sand to loosen up the soil and improve its balance.

First, the lawn could look worn, fertilization will help it to recover. The fertilizer can settle in the loose soil and does not blow away. In the next three weeks, you should regularly water the lawn so that it recovers and grows back. You should avoid touching the lawn after scarifying so it can quickly grow back into a bright lawn.

If you want a scarifying service, we can do it for you trouble-free at Grasshopper Garden Services. Read more about scarifying here

Soil Health

The foundation of any healthy lawn is good soil. Soil health plays a big role in the overall condition of your lawn, affecting nutrient availability, drainage, and root growth. If your soil is compacted, lacks essential nutrients, or is too acidic or alkaline, it can prevent your grass from thriving. A soil test will tell you the pH level and nutrient content, helping you understand what is needed. For example, if your soil is too acidic, you can add lime to raise the pH. If it’s too alkaline, sulfur can lower the pH. Additionally, applying matter or compost can improve soil, providing a better environment for grass roots.

Watering

Watering is another big part affecting the health of your lawn. Both overwatering and underwatering can result in an unhealthy lawn. Overwatering can cause root rot, create conditions for fungi and pests, and waste water. Underwatering, on the other hand, leads to drought stress, brown patches, and weak grass growth. Deep watering, less frequently, is often more effective than shallow, frequent watering. A good rule of thumb is to water the lawn deeply once or twice a week, ensuring that the grass receives at least 1 to 1.5 inches of water each time. A sprinkler system with a timer can help regulate watering schedules.

Grass Variety

Not all grass types are suited for every climate. Grass varieties each have different needs and thrive in different conditions. If your lawn has the wrong type of grass for your climate, it will likely struggle to grow properly, leading to patches of dead or weak grass. Cool-season grasses thrive in cooler climates, while warm-season grasses perform better in hotter regions. Choosing the right grass variety will give your lawn the best chance.

Lawn Mowing

Mowing may seem like a simple task, but it’s easy to make mistakes that harm your lawn. Cutting the grass too short, using dull mower blades, or mowing at irregular intervals can all contribute to a less-than-perfect lawn. When grass is cut too short, it can weaken, making it more exposed to drought, pests, and diseases. Keep your mower blades sharp, and adjust your mower to cut grass at the right height for your specific grass variety. Generally, cool-season grasses should be kept at 2.5 to 4 inches, while warm-season grasses can be cut shorter. Avoid cutting more than one-third of the grass height in a single mowing session to prevent stressing the grass. Additionally, vary your mowing pattern to prevent soil compaction and promote healthy growth.

Weed Infestations

Weeds are a common enemy of any lawn. Whether it’s dandelions, crabgrass, or clover, weeds compete with grass for nutrients, water, and sunlight. If left unchecked, weeds can quickly overtake your lawn, resulting in an uneven, patchy appearance. Use a combination of prevention and treatment strategies to manage weeds. Preventing weeds starts with proper lawn care, such as maintaining a thick, healthy lawn that crowds out weeds. For existing weeds, consider using targeted herbicides or natural weed control methods. Hand-pulling weeds can be effective for smaller infestations, while a pre-emergent herbicide can stop weeds from sprouting in the first place. Keep in mind that using herbicides improperly can harm your grass, so always follow instructions carefully.

Pests

Pests can cause significant damage to your lawn. Grubs, chinch bugs, and other insects can eat the roots of your grass, leaving behind unsightly patches or making the lawn feel spongy when walked on. Over time, pest infestations can cause your lawn to deteriorate rapidly.

Read more here

Lawn Maintenance

Regular lawn maintenance is key to keeping your lawn healthy. Neglecting basic care, like weeding, mowing, and watering, can lead to poor grass health. A lawn requires ongoing attention to ensure that it stays vibrant and free of issues.

Read more here

Conclusion

A perfect lawn requires effort and attention, and many things can impact its health and appearance. By understanding these factors and addressing them through proper lawn care techniques, you can improve your lawn’s appearance. While achieving a perfect lawn may take time, consistent care and a bit of patience will pay off.

Spring is the most important time to begin lawn care and mowing, as this is when grass begins to wake up. However, it’s important to time your first mow of the season correctly to avoid damaging your lawn. The first thing to keep in mind when starting lawn care in spring is to wait until the grass starts actively growing. This usually happens when the soil temperature reaches around 10°C. For cold grasses, this could be as early as late March or April, while for warm-season grasses, it might not happen until late April or May.

Mowing your lawn too early before the grass is growing can damage the grass and possibly delay growing. The grass needs time to recover from winter, so wait until the grass has reached a height of about 3 to 4 inches before your first mow. When it’s time for the first mow, avoid cutting the grass too short. Cutting too much off at once can bother the grass and lead to brown patches. Set your mower blades to a higher setting (about 2.5 to 3 inches for cool-season grasses, and 1 to 1.5 inches for warm-season grasses), and slowly lower the mower height throughout the season.

In early spring, the grass is growing fast as the temperatures warm up, especially for cool-season grasses. At this time, your lawn may need mowing once every 7 to 10 days. If you’re dealing with warm grasses, the growth might not speed up until late spring, so you might only need to mow every 10 to 14 days.

As temperatures rise and the grass enters peak growing season, mowing will become more frequent. During late spring, especially for cool grasses, you might need to mow every week to keep your lawn looking healthy. Warm grasses will also become more active and mowing may increase to every 7 to 10 days.

Summer can be a hard time for lawn care, as the heat and conditions can affect grass growth. How often you need to mow your lawn during the summer depends on the weather, the type of grass, and the amount of rain your area gets. It’s important to adjust your mower’s height settings to ensure the grass is cut higher than in the spring. Cutting grass too short in hot weather can stress it and make it more vulnerable. Taller grass provides shade to the soil, helping it stay moist. A height of 3 to 4 inches is generally recommended for most lawns during summer.

If you’re experiencing high temperatures, you might notice that your lawn slows down its growth. You might not need to mow as often, and it’s important to focus on watering to help the grass survive. Watering will encourage the grass roots to grow deeper, making the lawn more resistant. Depending on the temperature, you might only need to mow every 10 to 14 days in the summer, especially if the grass isn’t growing as quickly. For warm grasses, this can extend even longer if your area is dry.

Autumn is one of the best times to care for your lawn and prepare it for winter. Grass is growing during the cooler months of autumn, making it a great time for lawn care. Autumn is also when you can make adjustments before the lawn slows down in the winter.

As the weather cools in late summer and autumn, your lawn will continue to grow at a slower rate. In early autumn, you’ll still need to mow regularly every 7 to 10 days, as the grass will continue growing until the temperatures drop a lot.

As autumn progresses, it’s a good idea to slowly lower the mowing height to prepare the grass for winter. This helps prevent disease and allows sunlight to reach the soil. Do not mow too short, as this can affect the grass. A height of around 2.5 to 3 inches is good for most grass types.

Autumn is a good time to fertilize your lawn. Cool grasses benefit from fertilizer applied in early autumn, which helps them grow strong roots before winter. Warm grasses may still benefit from a light fertilization, but avoid heavy feeding as it cools.

Lawn care requires a lot of special techniques and planning, but you can hire a professional to do the hard work if you can not manage it.

Watering your turf

All plants require a lot of water, and so does grass. The grass plant needs water as only about 15% of the plant is actually dry matter. Water is an essential part of photosynthesis and without it the grass can not make food for growth. It is used to transport nutrients around the plant. The water inside the cells makes it stand upright and without this water, the plant will wilt and eventually die. It is important to keep up the soils reserves in order to maintain a dense and visually pleasing turf. With correct watering, the grass plant will develop a deep and extensive root system. You should apply less water if your soil is heavy and more water if it is more of a light soil, like sand. Here are some of the many benefits from watering your turf.

Your turf will be drought resistant

The grasses will have better colour through the year

The turf will recover from wear much faster

Becomes more resistant to attack from pests and diseases, learn more about pests here

A thick turf discourages growth of many weeds

Overseeding

Overseeding grass is the process of planting new grass seed into existing grass. It can either be done on small worn areas or across the whole surface. It is a way to improve the density and health of your lawn, filling in weak spots and improving its appearance. The best time for overseeding is from late summer to autumn, when soil is still warm and there’s enough moisture. Before overseeding, you should mow the lawn to a shorter height and clear up any debris. After spreading the seeds, keep the soil moist until the new grass comes.

Allows suitable grass types to adapt to your lawn

Increases density and improves the texture

Ensures that it stays healthy through the year and keeps good colour

Increased density will suppress weed growth

Scarifying

Scarifying involves removing the layer of dead grass, moss, and thatch from your lawn. This buildup can block water, nutrients, and air from reaching the grass roots, leading to weak growth. Scarifying helps improve the lawn’s health by allowing it to breathe and better absorb these essentials. It’s best done during early spring or autumn when the grass is actively growing. Use a scarifier or a tool like a rake to remove the debris, then follow with overseeding or fertilizing to encourage a bright and healthy lawn. Scarifying encourages better grass growth and reduces any risk of lawn diseases. Scarifying is something we officially offer as a service.

You can find more information about lawn care here from our professionals at Grasshopper Garden Services.

Luckily, with the climate we have here in England, insect damage is usually limited to sporadic, occasional problems. Some of the damage symptoms that insects and pests can cause to the lawn are very similar to those caused by diseases, so it is very important to diagnose the problem correctly before treatment. The best and most simple method to determine the cause is careful observation. In most cases where the lawn has been damaged enough to be noticeable, the organism can be easily seen on or near the surface. We will go over a few types of pest and the symptoms, and how to control those problems.

The grubs of some insect species survive just under the surface of the leaves and feed on roots, stems and crowns of grass. Worst case, the grass attacked by these grubs can be extensive, causing the death of large areas of turf.

Leatherjackets are the grubs of the crane-fly (or known as long-legged spiders). They are perhaps the most common lawn pest.

Symptoms – The grey/brown larvae grow up to 5cm long, live in the soil below the surface and feed on grass roots, stems and sometimes leaves. Most damage occurs on young plants in spring, but they may also develop in autumn. The affected grass plants usually turn yellow, wilt and then die. High population in lawns cause yellow patches during dry weather and affected areas may also develop more damage from birds tearing the soil to catch the leatherjackets.

Chafer grubs, also known as white grubs, can live in the soil. Both larvae and adults can attack grass.

Symptoms – C-shaped, soft and white larvae up to 40mm long with a brown head and six legs on the upper part of the body, feed on the roots, stems and sometimes leaves of the grass. The grass may appear yellow or brown before wilting and dying. During dry weather, brown withered turf can be spotted and the grub can be found if the turf is lifted. The symptoms are similar to those found with leatherjackets.

Frit fly are not a common pest of turf grasses but it can become a problem. The frit fly larvae are 3-4mm long, yellow or brown in colour with black, curved mouth hooks.

Symptoms – The larvae are grubs that can affect the growth of the grass plant. Under severe attacks the plant will die. Where the lawn is regularly mown, attack will be limited because the larvae prefer grass plants that are developed fully.

As many of the insecticides used to control grub problems have been banned from use for being too polluting and dangerous, there is very little you can do to control insect grubs. It is advised that you contact your local garden center for advice on what is currently on the market and available to control the problems, or look online for results. We mainly recommend hiring a local professional to advise and assist with the problem.

Gardening is a very rewarding hobby but you have to be able to take good care of your plants by providing them with proper soil conditions. After all, a healthy growing process includes more than just weeding, sowing and tending. Since greens have different needs, it’s important to choose just the right type of soil that would benefit your plants type the most.

The 5 major types of soil

Nutrients, water, and air are an essential part of plant growth, so the amount of these components in the soil determines whether your crop would be able to develop its full potential. There are 5 main soil types, and each one has different properties:

Sandy soil

It is a grainy type of soil with large particle size. Due to sand’s many airy spaces and gritty texture, it drains water fast, warms up easily and quickly dries out. These qualities of the sandy soil make it perfect for spring cultivation, however, it is not really suitable for summertime gardening because the weather is usually too hot.

Sandy soil is not rich in many nutrients. It usually requires a few organic amendments. A blending with kelp meal, greensand, or another similar fertilizer, would grant your plants exquisite conditions for spring growing.

Plant compatibilities:

• Root vegetables (potatoes, carrots, etc);
• Fruits and vegetables (tomatoes, corn, peppers, lettuce, strawberries, etc);
• Bulb flowers (Tulips, Hibiscus, etc);
• Shrubs.

Peaty soil

Peaty soil consists of dark peat. It is a soggy and muggy acidic soil that slows decay and reduces nutrients. This damp type of soil can handle high temperatures while retaining moisture.

In some cases, this extra water contained in the soil has to be drained manually to avoid damaging the crops. When the peat percentage of the soil is high, then you might want to dig drainage channels.

A mixture of peaty soil with compost or another organic matter would positively affect your plants since it would reduce the peat acidity.

Plant compatibilities:

• Shrubs (Lantern Trees, Witch Hazel, Heather, etc);
• Salad greens;
• Root crops.

Chalky soil

Chalky soil is stony, with large grain size. It is an alkaline type of soil that drains rapidly. Sometimes plants grown in chalky soil are stunted or start growing yellow leaves. To fix or avoid this, you might need to balance the chalky soil pH by mixing with relevant fertilizers. Also, you can blend it with hummus to keep the water in the soil longer.

Plant compatibilities:

• Trees;
• Shrubs (Lilac, Pinks, Weigela, etc.);
• Vegetables (spinach, cabbage, beets, sweet corn, etc.).

Loamy soil

The loamy soil is an even slightly damp mixture of sand, silt, and clay. Loam is often considered the best soil for plants growing because has taken the most beneficial characteristics of the soil types.

Loam is fertile and full of nutrients, allows the air can infiltrate easily, holds moisture but also has adequate water drainage. Those qualities allow loamy soil to perfectly warm up in spring, but in summer it does not dry out quickly. Regular blending with compost and organic matter is required due to the acidic nature of loam.

Plant compatibilities:

• Vegetables;
• Berry fruits;
• Climbers;
• Bamboo;
• Shrubs.

Clay soil

Wet clay soil is lumpy and soggy, on the contrary, dry clay is really hard. This type of soil is extremely rich in nutrients, it keeps plants hydrated for a long time but has really bad draining abilities due to the small particles and the low number of air spaces.

Clay is hard to work with because it’s really sticky when wet. It also warms up slowly and drains even slowlier in spring. That is why enhancing the soil is vital in order to help your plants to grow healthier.

Plant compatibilities:

• Perennials;
• Berry crops;
• Early vegetables;
• Shrubs;
• Fruit trees;
• Ornamental trees.

How to recognize the soil type of your garden

If you are not an expert scientist in soil types, fear not. There is a way to observe and acknowledge what soil type you have in your garden.

The jar test

The Jar test is also famous as the ‘Mudshake’ since the basic thing you would do is mixing water with the garden soil. There are a few steps you need to follow to make the test work:

1. Take soil samples from different areas of your garden;
2. Mix them together;
3. Dry the soil mixture on a flat surface;
4. Remove debris, stones, and roots from the crumbly soil;
5. Use a mortar to crush the soil into a powdery substance;
6. Lay a 1-inch layer of the crushed soil into a glass jar;
7. Fill it with water until it covers ⅔ of the jar;
8. Add dish detergent or salt, to stimulate particles separation;
9. Shake the Mudshake;
10. Let the final mixture settle.

After a few minutes, sand would settle on the bottom of the jar. In a few hours, the silt would settle as well. Clay needs a few days to form a consistent layer. The difference between the particle types is obvious, so layers could give you a clear view of the soil types in your garden.

The next step to determine your garden soil type would be to measure each layer and figure out the proper percentages of each soil type that can be found in your yard.

How to improve the soil of your garden

Now that you know what type of soil you are working with, it’s time to improve it. There are many ways to enrich the soil properties of your garden, but the most efficient ones would be:

Fertilize the soil

Fertilization is an important part of every farming process. There are many ways to fertilize soil but you have to bear in mind that plants have different nutrition needs. Some soils are acid, others are alkaline, and there are also neutral types – and you have to make sure to provide the proper growing conditions for your crops.

The good news is, through fertilization you can adjust the pH levels of your garden soil to make sure its more plant-friendly, depending on the greens you intend to grow. There are different fertilizers on the market, some are natural and sustainable, others are artificial and chemical-based.

To make your soil more acidic, consider adding sulfur or aluminum sulfate. If your plants would thrive in an alkaline growing environment, you may add ground lime to the soil. For nutrients enrichment, bet on organic matter like manure or compost.

Make sure it’s healthy

In order to reach their full potential, plants would require healthy soil. That means you have to take care of the ground they grow on just as much as you take care of your crops. You have to make sure the soil is watered regularly and that it is rich in essential nutrients like Potassium, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus.

The next tip would be to always renew the soil after harvesting. This way you would be able to grow a healthy plant all over again. Planting cover crops is a good gardening method that involves planting manure crops that would better the soil by adding organic matter, improving drainage, aeration, and building texture. Till the cover crops before they seed, so you can quickly reuse the soil for your main garden plants.

Ask a professional

If you feel lost and you are still unsure about how to improve your gardening soil, you can always turn to professionals for help. After all, taking advice from experts in the field could only be to your advantage.

Author’s Bio:

Name: Dimo Koev

Dimo has 10+ years of experience in landscaping services, garden design and maintenance, lawn care, turfing, hedge trimming, weeding, fencing, decking, patio and driveway laying, planting, garden clearance, and more. He is the president of Professional Gardening Services, which delivers the bespoke gardening services in London. Dimo believes in constantly adapting, innovating and learning about his industry in order to deliver the best service to his clients. That’s why he is so enthusiastic and eager to share his knowledge and skills with everyone who needs gardening advice.

Gardening is a very rewarding hobby but you have to be able to take good care of your plants by providing them with proper soil conditions. After all, a healthy growing process includes more than just weeding, sowing and tending. Since greens have different needs, it’s important to choose just the right type of soil that would benefit your plants type the most.

The 5 major types of soil

Nutrients, water, and air are an essential part of plant growth, so the amount of these components in the soil determines whether your crop would be able to develop its full potential. There are 5 main soil types, and each one has different properties:

Sandy soil

It is a grainy type of soil with large particle size. Due to sand’s many airy spaces and gritty texture, it drains water fast, warms up easily and quickly dries out. These qualities of the sandy soil make it perfect for spring cultivation, however, it is not really suitable for summertime gardening because the weather is usually too hot.

Sandy soil is not rich in many nutrients. It usually requires a few organic amendments. A blending with kelp meal, greensand, or another similar fertilizer, would grant your plants exquisite conditions for spring growing.

Plant compatibilities:

• Root vegetables (potatoes, carrots, etc);
• Fruits and vegetables (tomatoes, corn, peppers, lettuce, strawberries, etc);
• Bulb flowers (Tulips, Hibiscus, etc);
• Shrubs.

Peaty soil

Peaty soil consists of dark peat. It is a soggy and muggy acidic soil that slows decay and reduces nutrients. This damp type of soil can handle high temperatures while retaining moisture.

In some cases, this extra water contained in the soil has to be drained manually to avoid damaging the crops. When the peat percentage of the soil is high, then you might want to dig drainage channels.

A mixture of peaty soil with compost or another organic matter would positively affect your plants since it would reduce the peat acidity.

Plant compatibilities:

• Shrubs (Lantern Trees, Witch Hazel, Heather, etc);
• Salad greens;
• Root crops.

Chalky soil

Chalky soil is stony, with large grain size. It is an alkaline type of soil that drains rapidly. Sometimes plants grown in chalky soil are stunted or start growing yellow leaves. To fix or avoid this, you might need to balance the chalky soil pH by mixing with relevant fertilizers. Also, you can blend it with hummus to keep the water in the soil longer.

Plant compatibilities:

• Trees;
• Shrubs (Lilac, Pinks, Weigela, etc.);
• Vegetables (spinach, cabbage, beets, sweet corn, etc.).

Loamy soil

The loamy soil is an even slightly damp mixture of sand, silt, and clay. Loam is often considered the best soil for plants growing because has taken the most beneficial characteristics of the soil types.

Loam is fertile and full of nutrients, allows the air can infiltrate easily, holds moisture but also has adequate water drainage. Those qualities allow loamy soil to perfectly warm up in spring, but in summer it does not dry out quickly. Regular blending with compost and organic matter is required due to the acidic nature of loam.

Plant compatibilities:

• Vegetables;
• Berry fruits;
• Climbers;
• Bamboo;
• Shrubs.

Clay soil

Wet clay soil is lumpy and soggy, on the contrary, dry clay is really hard. This type of soil is extremely rich in nutrients, it keeps plants hydrated for a long time but has really bad draining abilities due to the small particles and the low number of air spaces.

Clay is hard to work with because it’s really sticky when wet. It also warms up slowly and drains even slowlier in spring. That is why enhancing the soil is vital in order to help your plants to grow healthier.

Plant compatibilities:

• Perennials;
• Berry crops;
• Early vegetables;
• Shrubs;
• Fruit trees;
• Ornamental trees.

How to recognize the soil type of your garden

If you are not an expert scientist in soil types, fear not. There is a way to observe and acknowledge what soil type you have in your garden.

The jar test

The Jar test is also famous as the ‘Mudshake’ since the basic thing you would do is mixing water with the garden soil. There are a few steps you need to follow to make the test work:

1. Take soil samples from different areas of your garden;
2. Mix them together;
3. Dry the soil mixture on a flat surface;
4. Remove debris, stones, and roots from the crumbly soil;
5. Use a mortar to crush the soil into a powdery substance;
6. Lay a 1-inch layer of the crushed soil into a glass jar;
7. Fill it with water until it covers ⅔ of the jar;
8. Add dish detergent or salt, to stimulate particles separation;
9. Shake the Mudshake;
10. Let the final mixture settle.

After a few minutes, sand would settle on the bottom of the jar. In a few hours, the silt would settle as well. Clay needs a few days to form a consistent layer. The difference between the particle types is obvious, so layers could give you a clear view of the soil types in your garden.

The next step to determine your garden soil type would be to measure each layer and figure out the proper percentages of each soil type that can be found in your yard.

How to improve the soil of your garden

Now that you know what type of soil you are working with, it’s time to improve it. There are many ways to enrich the soil properties of your garden, but the most efficient ones would be:

Fertilize the soil

Fertilization is an important part of every farming process. There are many ways to fertilize soil but you have to bear in mind that plants have different nutrition needs. Some soils are acid, others are alkaline, and there are also neutral types – and you have to make sure to provide the proper growing conditions for your crops.

The good news is, through fertilization you can adjust the pH levels of your garden soil to make sure its more plant-friendly, depending on the greens you intend to grow. There are different fertilizers on the market, some are natural and sustainable, others are artificial and chemical-based.

To make your soil more acidic, consider adding sulfur or aluminum sulfate. If your plants would thrive in an alkaline growing environment, you may add ground lime to the soil. For nutrients enrichment, bet on organic matter like manure or compost.

Make sure it’s healthy

In order to reach their full potential, plants would require healthy soil. That means you have to take care of the ground they grow on just as much as you take care of your crops. You have to make sure the soil is watered regularly and that it is rich in essential nutrients like Potassium, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus.

The next tip would be to always renew the soil after harvesting. This way you would be able to grow a healthy plant all over again. Planting cover crops is a good gardening method that involves planting manure crops that would better the soil by adding organic matter, improving drainage, aeration, and building texture. Till the cover crops before they seed, so you can quickly reuse the soil for your main garden plants.

Ask a professional

If you feel lost and you are still unsure about how to improve your gardening soil, you can always turn to professionals for help. After all, taking advice from experts in the field could only be to your advantage.

Author’s Bio:

Name: Dimo Koev

Dimo has 10+ years of experience in landscaping services, garden design and maintenance, lawn care, turfing, hedge trimming, weeding, fencing, decking, patio and driveway laying, planting, garden clearance, and more. He is the president of Professional Gardening Services, which delivers the bespoke gardening services in London. Dimo believes in constantly adapting, innovating and learning about his industry in order to deliver the best service to his clients. That’s why he is so enthusiastic and eager to share his knowledge and skills with everyone who needs gardening advice.