When we perform landscape installations in eastern Iowa, we come across a wide variety of soil conditions. Every thing you can imagine from sandy soil to rocky soil all the way down to clay. It is extremely important to know what type of soil you are working with if you decide to install plant material. Once you have inspected the soil of your future project, you can then determine what plant material will be best suited for your sites conditions. If you are one of the unlucky beneficiaries of bad soil, you are not doomed. With any soil conditions, it is possible to remove the bad soil and replace it with an ideal blend. The amendments that you will need to bring your soil up to par before planting will depend on what types of plants that you are going to plant.
Types of soil conditions.
If you live in the Cedar Rapids, Iowa City or Waterloo area chances are that you are fighting clay. Clay can work against you in several different ways. Depending on the type and density of the clay, your plants may not be able to root properly. With new plant material it is especially important for your plant to take root. Without a solid root system, it is harder for your plant to take up nutrients and moisture, ultimately leading to the demise of your plant. Just because you amend your clay soil by replacing the clay with black dirt doesn’t mean that you are home free. If you remove just enough clay for the plant to be installed, the remaining clay may act as a bucket to hold water. Some folks would think that this is probably a good thing, but ultimately this will lead to root rot.
Sandy Soil Conditions
Unlike clay, sandy soil may to create moisture loss for your plant. Amending sandy soil with additional black dirt can help increase moisture retention. In some instances it might be a better fit to install plants that like well drained soils.
Rocky Soil Conditions
The best solution for significant rock in the soil is to remove twice the desired planting area and replace it with a black dirt blend. Again, like sandy soil it may better to install plants that prefer well drained soils