Not everyone knows what defines good soil, and 'good soil' might mean something different depending on your, or the plants requirements. So, lets break down the main points so you can better understand what you have, to easily determine what you need to build healthy soil.
Whilst there are many different soil types, I have decided to break it down as follows:
Soils are normally classified by their general composition being Sand, Silt & Clay. Organic matter,minerals, gases, liquids and organisms make up the rest of the soil structure. Soils described as loam, are those which contain a good balance between sand, silt & clay (40-40-20;sand,silt,clay) and is usually aerobic, meaning that air and water can easily move throught the soil which promotes good soil life. The most predominant part is what the soil type will be predominantly described as. E.g. Soils that are predominantly clay but that have some organic matter, sand and silt, could be described as loamy-clay. Or, loamy soils with a higher sand component, could be described as sandy-loam...and so on.
We all have an idea of what sand and clay is, so to help describe silt further it could be said that Silt particles, in size, are somewhere in between sand and clay. This is why mixing fine sands to clay soils in attempt to break them up, is a terrible idea. The particles simply blend and if the soil ever dehydrates, it turns into a concrete-like substance that is hydrophobic. To re-hydrate that, is an adventure on it's own. This is why i always say "compost makes the world go around". The addition of compost to clay soils aids aeration and doesnt bind to the clay. This gives the clay time to build some soil life, and in time, builds a great soil structure. Clay can be very useful as it has sturdy structure and can hold large amounts of water. The problem is that it often doesnt let go of that water and as we all know, nothing good comes from standing water. It suffocates soil life and plants, and in turn causes anaerobic soil conditions. Adding compost to sandy soils is also the best way to bring new life to it. The compost then becomes the moisture retention factor and structure, and the sand compliments drainage. The only downside is that leaching is more than if clay was a part of the components. For turf, sandy-loam is your friend, but unless you have a moneytree growing in your yard, you simply need to correct your current soil by making small additions over time. And yes, this will probably be with the addition of compost/applicable manures, good quality topsoil or silica sand. Follow your specific climate to tailor your soil requirements.
To further this conversation, I have put together a list of soils with an image and a description below. Please do feel free to email info@backyardbushveld.co.za should you have any questions.
