Garden soils
Sandy soils. These contain a high percentage of sandy particles, are light to dig but often dry out quickly in dry weather. They warm up quickly in spring but lose nutrients very fast because of their ability to retain water. They can be much improved by the addition of organic compost and manures.
Clay soils. These soils are heavy to work, retaining a lot of moisture in wet seasons and drying out, shrinking and cracking in dry seasons, when they become very difficult to cultivate. It is hard to get a fine tilth but clay soils do retain nutrients well.
Silty soils. These were originally deposited by a river and the particles feel 'silky' when rolled between the fingers. They are intermediate in texture between sandy and clay soils, relatively easy soils to work and retaining reasonable amounts of moisture.
Loamy soils. These are in many ways the ideal soils, having a mixture of sand, silt and clay particles without the chief disadvantages of the others. They are usually porous, able to hold moisture and nutrients and reasonably well drained.
Acid or peaty soils. True peat is highly acid, usually totally free of lime, sour and very boggy. It tends to lie in lowland areas, is liable to flooding and is typically marshland. In this state it is not suited for most types of gardening. However it can be improved, and peaty soils which have been given drainage and treatment with lime to improve the pH, can become much more suitable for gardening. Following the application of lime and improved drainage, it can become very useful garden soil.
Chalky and calcareous soils. These tend to be free-draining, with water lying on the surface in wet weather. This can be improved by digging in quantities of organic matter or sandand maybe by providing some form of drainage scheme to lead water away from the flower beds and vegetable plot. The high alkalinity of the soil can be improved by annual dressings of flowers of sulphur. Without this the soil can be sticky and difficult to work in winter. Chalk soils often overlie downland and limestone regions, and may be very shallow and lacking in nutrients.
Most of these soils can be improved with the addition of quantities of organic material such as garden compost, well-rotted manure and other natural nutrients