The different types of soil: how to recognize and improve them

A good gardener always starts by looking at the soil

Even before sowing, planting, or watering, you need to get to know your soil . Its structure, texture, water retention capacity, and drainage directly influence the success of your crops . Here's a simple guide to identifying your soil type... and improving it naturally.

1. The 4 main types of soil in the garden

🟤 Clay soil

• Sticky, heavy, compact texture.
• Retains water well but packs down easily.
• Risk of root asphyxiation if not drained.
• Improvement: mature compost + coarse sand + regular mulching.

🏖️ Sandy soil

• Visible grain, crumbles between the fingers, very draining.
• Heats up quickly but retains water and nutrients poorly.
• Improvement: organic matter + compost + deep-rooted green manure.

🌫️ Silty soil

• Very fertile but fragile, sensitive to erosion.
• Floury texture, soft to the touch.
• Improvement: permanent mulching, plant cover, structure to monitor.

🌳 Humiferous (or forest) soil

• Rich in organic matter, very black and flexible.
• Excellent water retention, often acidic.
• Improvement: soft limestone (shell powder, ash), leaf compost.

2. How to identify your soil? (simple methods)

🖐 Touch test

Take a handful of damp soil:

• Sticks and compacts: clayey
• Grainy and crumbles: sandy
• Soft, smooth, floury: loamy
• Dark, light, smells of humus: humiferous

⚱️ Jar Test

1. Fill a clear jar with 1/3 soil and 2/3 water.
2. Shake, let stand for 24 hours.
3. Observation by layers: sand (bottom), silt (middle), clay (fine surface).

3. How to improve your soil naturally?

• 🌾 Green fertilizers : mustard, phacelia, clover… to aerate and nourish.
• 🌿 Compost : brings life, nutrients, and structure.
• 🪵 Mulching : hay, straw, dead leaves… protects, nourishes and attracts worms.
• 💧 Adapted watering : according to soil retention → neither too much nor too little.

4. What type of culture for each soil?

Soil type	Recommended plants
Clayey	Leeks, cabbage, beets, spinach
Sandy	Carrots, radishes, potatoes, onions
Silty	Almost everything! Be careful to mulch well.
Humiferous	Squash, salads, herbs, beans

Conclusion

Understanding the nature of your soil lays the foundation for a healthy, productive, and resilient garden. In permaculture, we work with the soil, not against it. Observe, nourish, and protect : this is the true key to a vibrant vegetable garden.

📘 Want to go further? Discover our seeds for smart sowing, based on your soil.