What To Do If Your Soil Is Too Light.

Silty or sandy soils suffer the opposite troubles from heavy ones. They tend to be so porous that water and nutrients flush through, and this means overly frequent watering and feeding. But they can be cultivated and trod upon at any time of year without fear of compacting them, a concern with clays. You can increase their ability to hold moisture by adding clay-like materials or organic materials. About five percent clay thoroughly tilled six inches deep into sandy soil, or two or three inches of organic material similarly mixed in, should do the job.

Not only does this guarantee an improved environment for your plant roots, it will also make an improvement to your pocketbook! Water and fertilizer is expensive and organic material will keep it in your garden instead of allowing it to drain away. This retention is also beneficial to the environment, preventing stream water pollution.