How to determine soil type and why it is necessary

When examining the soil in a garden or orchard, it rarely occurs to anyone that it may vary. Ordinary soil is black in winter and covered with greenery in summer. In reality, things are not that simple. Each soil has its own composition, and it is precisely this that determines what crop will grow, which plants will thrive better, and which should be avoided on a given plot.

Chemical composition determines soil fertility. For example, Ukrainian chernozem is recognized as the best in the world in terms of nutrient content. There are other soil types that are ideal for growing specific agricultural crops. Therefore, knowledge of soil type is essential for landowners.

How many types of soil are there?

Knowing the characteristics and composition of soil makes it easier to choose fertilizers, understand the required irrigation intensity, and determine which crops to plant. The laboratory https://himanaliz.ua/ conducts precise chemical soil analysis, which can be used to make decisions regarding improving composition and planting specific crops.

Main types of soil:

• clay soils;
• silty soils;
• sandy soils;
• sandy-loam soils;
• chernozem soils;
• calcareous soils;
• peat soils.

The heaviest clay soils, as they contain nearly 80% clay. They have high acidity, organic fertilizers do not decompose, and plants have difficulty breathing and absorbing nutrients. Such soil must be improved with sand, peat, ash, compost, and manure.

Silty soil is universal with neutral acidity. It is suitable for almost all plants, although there are specific groups that require acidic or slightly acidic conditions.

Chernozem is the most fertile and universal soil. It contains a large amount of mineral nutrients and humus. However, even the best soil becomes depleted and requires regular fertilization.

How to improve soil?

Each type has its own characteristics, with varying amounts of different substances. To maintain soil fertility at an adequate level, the method of sideration is used. That is, introducing green mass of specially grown plants called siderates:

• mustard;
• clover;
• fasel;
• clover.

This is an effective and eco-friendly method, characterized by simplicity, low labor and financial costs. However, there are other methods that are applied according to specialist recommendations after conducting a chemical analysis.

These include chemical soil improvement or liming, which reduces soil acidity. If the soil is alkaline, gypsum application is effective, which removes salinity. To address high alkalinity and the presence of soda, acidic industrial organic waste, physiologically acidic mineral fertilizers, and others are applied.

In short, the type of soil, its characteristics, peculiarities, and proper fertilization determine future harvests, so such information is necessary for every farmer.