Have you ever tried to grow your own vegetable garden but had very little success? While you may think that your lack of vegetables is due to your lack of a green thumb, the real problem might not have anything to do with you. Often times gardeners don’t realize that their soil is lacking the essential nutrients that plants need to grow, which can result in a poor turnout of vegetables. Good topsoil can make all the difference, and if your yard doesn’t have naturally good topsoil, you may need a little help from your local gardening store.
What is Topsoil?
Topsoil, as the name implies, is the top layer of soil that goes about eight inches deep. It is typically made up of a variety of different types of soil, including clay, silt and sand. This layer consists of nutrients, organic matter and microorganisms that help maintain the proper nutritional balance in the soil to help plants grow. Usually, the roots of plants are concentrated in topsoil since this is where the most nutrients are that contribute to plant growth and health.
Topsoil can also be found among garden landscaping supplies at a home gardening store. The topsoil sold here is a premixed combination of a variety of soils. When the soil in a garden does not have a good mix of soil types, commercially produced topsoil can help improve the quality of soil and help improve plant growth.
Best Topsoil for Gardening
As was mentioned before, not all yards contain the ideal mixture of soils, and poor soil composition can have a negative impact on plant growth. Generally speaking, the best topsoil for gardening is made up of approximately 50% silt and 50% sand, with a small percentage of clay in the mix. The composition of the soil determines how much it will compact or spread out. Soil that is too compact doesn’t drain well and makes it difficult for plants to absorb nutrients. Soil that is too loose, however, doesn’t retain nutrients. Usually, darker soil that breaks easily when compacted is the best topsoil for gardening because it is full of nutrients and allows for better drainage.
Vegetable gardens make great landscaping designs, but when the soil isn’t doing its job, your garden may not look so nice. Assessing topsoil and supplementing it with the necessary soil mixture can help vegetables grow and make your yard look happy and healthy. Helpful research also found here.
