I have been working on this site virtually everyday as well as writing a few articles for other websites,most concerning gardening.I have been planning and writing for Artistic Visions Gardening in the meantime and my new peice is going to be fairly extensive, concerning how to make the best garden out of a small space.

Today I am going to post an article I wrote about soil types and how to optimize it. I have infact written it for another website,however;I shall add it here as well..

The first way to assess your soil is simply by looking at it.If it is black that is a great sign, if it is dark brown it is also a very good sign but if it is yellow,pale brown or streaky then you undoubtedly have a problem with your soil.The blacker your soil is, the more organic matter it will contain and the easier your soil is to work the better your plants will grow, needing less care and water.If your soil feels smooth and a bit like childrens play dough and if it sticks together in a clump this means your soil has a lot of clay in it.If you can see stones in your soil and it falls apart easily and quickly feeling gritty to touch then you have sandy soil.There are two ways to improve clay soil, the first is by adding compost or organic matter which can be purchased at most any gardening retailor. The second is by adding a gritty substance such as sand or small gravel.The first option is most likely the best option because it increases fertility and improves drainage, the second option really only increases drainage.For sandy soil organic matter is also the best route to take to improve your soil.A thought to remember is organic matter will always improve the soil no matter what type.For acid or limy soil you can buy a simple and inexpensive pH kit at any garden retailor to tell you how much acid or lime your soil holds.Knowing the acidity or the alkalinity of your soil will better enable you to choose the plants that will flourish in your garden.Acid soils grow great azaleas,heathers,rhododendrons,lupins and usually tend to produce blue flowers on the hydrangea.Alkaline soils grow good cabbage,broccoli, wild meadow flowers and usually tend to produce pink flowers on the hydrangea.No matter what soil type you have by following the methods mentioned not only will improve your soil but it will improve the plants in it.

Well I hope this information was helpful and until next time happy gardening everyone!