It's important to know your soil before buying plants. Follow our guide and find out how to recognise the different types.
What to do
The pH of your soil can be tested with a simple kit available at garden centres. The solution turns yellow-orange for acid soil, green for neutral and dark green for alkaline.
Most plants prefer a pH of 6.5 to 7 – the point where nutrients are most easily available.
Some plants are ericaceous meaning they need acid soil, for example most rhododendrons. Others grow better in an alkaline soil, for example lilacs.
The soil type is determined by relative quantities of organic matter, rock and mineral particles.
An easy way of determining which type you have is by picking up some damp soil, examining it and rubbing it between your fingers.
Clay soil will be a bit sticky and be easy to roll into a ball.
Sandy soil will feel gritty and won't hold together at all.
Silty soil will feel silky and won't hold together into a ball like clay but will make a roll.
Loamy soil is brown and crumbly in texture, and has lots of organic matter in it.
Chalky soil is very light and doesn't hold water well, and you'll find chunks of white chalk or flint when you dig. It's always alkaline.
Peaty soil is almost black to look at, spongy to the touch and holds a lot of water.
