Choosing The Right Soil For Your Garden

If you’re envisioning a lush and thriving garden, you may be wanting bursts of greens, pops of colour, and flowering plants that can elevate the curb appeal and green space of your property. But before your garden can grow like this, you need to make sure that you are setting down the right foundation for new life to grow.

This can range from having a professional install a reticulation system to ensure adequate water supply to your garden, hiring a Perth landscaping company to actualise your garden designs and help you with your plant selections, and even choosing the right soil for your garden.

Remember that the quality of your plant growth really does depend on the quality of soil that you use, and to always keep in mind that different soil types can either support or restrict the growth of your greenery depending on their growth requirements.

Types of soil

Below, the different types of soil available on the market, which will help you in choosing the right soil for your garden.

Compost

Simply put, compost is a mixture of organic materials, and can differ across a wide range of types. From leaf mold, vermicompost, to worm compost, this type of soil, especially when certified organic, can help saplings grow by providing a great base for nutrient absorption and plant root development. Opt for locally-sourced materials for any compost you buy.

Loam

Considered to be a generic type of soil that provides good foundation for most gardens, its mixture of organic materials, clay, sand, and silt help in the cultivation of most plant varieties.

Potting Mixes and Planting Mixes

While sharing many characteristics and components, it’s important to note that potting mixes are made specifically for containers, which means that its ingredients veer towards a looser composition to improve drainage and lessen the compaction of soil. Planting mixes made with local materials do not have this same specification, and therefore can be used for plants and shrubbery that are planted outside of containers.

Mulch

Don’t discount the importance of mulch in the development and maintenance of a thriving garden. Mulch refers to a top soil dressing which is put in place to help protect soil structure, maintain soil temperatures, and preserve the moisture levels in the soil, which will benefit any flora that you choose to plant in your garden.

What is the best ratio of compost to soil?

If you’re starting from the very beginning, it’s advisable to use a ratio of 40 compost / 60 soil blend, or even 50 compost / 50 soil blend.

What are the benefits of garden soil?

When landscaping in perth garden soil highly benefits all plants and tree life, as not only does WA go through extreme weather conditions such as harsh rains and extremely hot summers which can damage plant root systems and cause dehydration and deterioration if the incorrect type of soil is used, but it also provides a solid base for your garden to grow and thrive year round, enabling consistent nutrients and water to be delivered regardless of the weather conditions.