Growing any given plant in the right place is key to successful gardening. Even in an established area it's useful to know the pH level of your soil if you want to try growing new plants; and if you're starting from scratch, your soil type should form the basis of where you go from here.
Preparing the way
At Gardening.co.uk and in Gardens Monthly magazine, we always seem to be recommending you test your soil. It's a bit like having a medical check-up before preparing to train for a marathon – if you're deficient in something (like iron) or carrying too much of something else (like weight!), you'll need to take steps to remedy this in order to become in peak physical condition. Once you know your soil type, you'll have a better idea of what's it's capable of now, what its limits are, and how you can improve it for the future.
Test various places in the garden
There are a number of soil pH testing kits on the market and readily available in garden centres; the one pictured is from Marshalls Seeds (not online) and costs £7.99. This is supplied as a pack of 30 easy to use tests, allowing you to make a thorough assessment of your soil. It's good to have a number of tests at your disposal as you should take the test several times at different spots in the garden for the most accurate results. Carry out the simple test with the barium sulphate and pH test solution and compare the colour against the chart. If the result is below the neutral value of pH7, your soil tends towards an acid, peaty type (1-7), preferable for plants like camellias, acers, rhododendrons, magnolias and azaleas; if above pH7, it's in the alkaline or limey range (7-14), which suits plants such as saxifrages, and quite a lot of vegetables including brassicas.
Once you know your soil type, those with a more alkaline-type soil may choose to grow acid-loving plants such as acers and magnolias (the lime haters) in large pots or beds filled with ericaceous compost. You can also treat your alkaline-type soil with sulphate of ammonia. Those with acid soils can add garden lime, or a good quality compost, to temper the acidity. Garden centres sell these products under a variety of brands, including Westland. If you have 'normal' soil (more or less neutral around pH7) – you're lucky!
Soil type, whether it's clay, sandy and free-draining, or enviably loamy, is a large subject in its own right – as is soil improvement (see more on this in related articles at the bottom of this page).
Subscribers to Gardens Monthly magazine, check out the related article at the bottom of this page 'Know your soil' for an in-depth look at soil types and soil testing.
denotes Subscriber-only content | Thursday 21 August 2008 | Help | Glossary 
