How to read your soil before you plant anything

Before choosing a single plant, it pays to know what you’re planting into. Soil type decides how well water drains, how quickly nutrients disappear and which plants will thrive rather than struggle.

The jar test

Fill a clear jar a third full with soil from about a spade’s depth, top it up with water and a pinch of washing-up liquid, shake hard and leave it for a day. The layers settle by weight: sand at the bottom, silt in the middle and clay on top.

Reading the layers

Mostly sand means free-draining, hungry soil that suits Mediterranean plants and needs regular compost. A thick clay layer means rich but heavy ground that holds water — great for roses and hostas once you open it up with organic matter. An even mix is loam, the gardener’s favourite.

Check the pH too

A cheap pH kit from any garden centre tells you whether you can grow acid-lovers like camellias and blueberries. Most plants are happy between 6 and 7. Work with what you have rather than fighting it, and the garden gets easier every year.