We often add new soil to existing soil or buy soil thinking mainly about the nutrients available for our plants. However, the importance of good quality soil is not only because of nutrients. One of the major factors in how well our plants do in any given soil is due to the texture of the soil. In today’s blog article, we are going to talk about why soil texture is important. 

Plant Integrity 

The soil, here, close to the coast is naturally rocky and sandy. Some plants, especially native ones, are fine with that. But others, with tender root systems, will struggle if they have lots of rocks in their way. A fine-textured, soft soil allows roots to grow easily in any direction. Roots give the plant stability and integrity which can be threatened in a poor soil texture. 

Water and Nutrient Access 

A fine-textured, soft soil also gives plants better access to water and nutrients. This is particularly important for fruits and vegetables. A good example of this issue is blossom end rot in tomatoes, which is not necessarily a problem of calcium-deficient soil, but rather access to the calcium in a dense or rocky soil. 

Root Vegetables 

In another example, some vegetables, for example, root vegetables, cannot develop correctly in a soil with a poor texture. Carrots may look like pretzels if the roots cannot easily dive down into the soil.

There is no doubt that some plants do fine in soil that has a less-than-ideal texture. The sour cherry tree (Montmorency variety) does great in our native rocky soil while sweet cherry varieties may struggle in a hard or rocky soil.

Always err on the side of a good soil texture for the best probability of success, especially in potted plants. Buy it or create your own by mixing loam with vermiculite and peat to create a soft soil that plants love.  

Art Knapp has 15 locations across British Columbia and is well known as the go-to garden centre for everything garden-related. Art Knapp, himself, began the business in the 1940's, and now, 80 years later, you can find more than he ever dreamed of in our stores. Come and see us on King George Boulevard in Surrey. 

If you have any questions about this article or want to talk to us about gardening, just give us a call at (604) 596-9201.