Testing your soil

• A greater knowledge of the ground you are planting in, before you begin doing so, will enable you to make more informed decisions when choosing what you wish to grow
• There is pretty much nothing you need with you to undertake this task other than the soil in your beds and your hands. You may wish to wear gloves to save having to clean your hands once you have finished
• If you don’t wear gloves you can benefit from a basic contact with the soil itself. There are tiny microbes, organisms and therefore life in the soil and connection to it can release serotonin in our brains - relaxing and reinvigorating us when we work with it

• For some children nothing will spark interest and promote involvement quite like the opportunity to put their hands in dirt. It’s a good way to encourage connection with nature, build up immune systems and build intrigue in gardening
• You can ask for their input on the consistency of the soil, or talk to them about the wildlife in beds that play a part in the soil structure. You can also talk about the worms and slugs and how they affect our plant's wellbeing. In the autumn time, for instance, is a good time to notice worm casts appearing on your lawn due to the wetter weather we have

• Use knee pads to lessen the strain of kneeling
• Consider gardening in raised beds if you are struggling to work on the ground
• If your garden soil is heavy and clay based, any digging is best done in the autumn
• If you have issues with manual dexterity and grip you can test the soil by cupping both your hands together and exerting pressure with your arms

Find a patch of soil in your flower or vegetable bed. It may be wise to do this exercise in a few different sections of where you're working, depending on the size of your plot, as soil can vary noticeably from one area to another.

Take up a good handful of soil (having dug it up a bit with a spade if necessary) and give it a firm squeeze, release your grip and see what you have in your palm.

Now we will look at different consistencies and tell you what you can do to improve them.

A tight hard ball: This means the soil you have is mostly made up of clay. Clay soils are made up of tiny particles that are stuck together to create large lumps that can be moulded with your hands without breaking up into smaller chunks. Clay soils will retain water and create a boggier planting environment, as there is little drainage.

They are also harder to penetrate and will seriously hinder a root vegetable's development. On a more positive note, a clay soil will contain a surprising amount of nutrients within it to benefit plants and there are a number of ways to improve the structure of it if you find yourself bogged down by it, which we'll explain below.

A ball with a ‘cakey’ consistency that falls apart when poked: Good news, you have a loam or silty soil. This is usually dark in colour and consists of a mix of sand and clay. Whilst this soil can still be compacted by machinery and being overly trodden on, it will have a good level of organic matter existing within it and retain enough water to keep most plants satisfied.

A handful of soil that collapses easily: This means you have a soil that is largely made up of sand. Sand is made up of comparatively large particles, which allow for lots of movement and large gaps that provide spaces for water and air to get between easily. For this reason, sandy soil is bad for retaining nutrients, but it will provide good drainage. Sandy soils can feel lighter in weight, be gritty to touch and be lighter in colour. To make improvements to the nutrient content of your soil and make it more workable when digging, there are a few things you can do which we will explore.

Sandy soil: Your best bet here is to dig during the late winter and early spring to improve the existing soil structure. Whether that be with manure, leaf mould or compost. Remember, not every plant will want or need to have a lot of nutrients available, such as lavenders and buddleia, but any nutrients that are in sandy soils are often quickly washed away. Fertiliser can also help provide additional nutrients to newly planted plants.

Loam or silty soil: While a loam or silty soil is favourable for planting it is best not to be complacent. You can still top it up with organic matter such as compost you have produced yourself and, in some cases, you may find adding either sand or clay useful to benefiting plants with any specific growing requirements.

Clay soil: One way of breaking up this hard to dig structure is by adding sand. Make sure to use horticultural sand which will be free of salt content that could damage plants. This naturally creates a less solid consistency to allow roots more oxygen and growing space. It is also possible with large areas of clay to introduce gravel, allowing for a draining soil structure that is more free. You can also make use of your composted material and add organic matter, both to improve the structure and add more nutrients to your growing area.