One of the key elements to successful gardening involves nourishing your topsoil appropriately.
However, this can be difficult as the nutrients you have to use differs for different types of soil.
That said, here is what you should do so as to deal with each type of topsoil listed below:
#1: Silt
Not very different from chalk, silt can be compacted far more easily in order to hold moisture for plants to grow. For that reason, it’s not a bad option for plants that need a lot of moisture too.
However, if you need to grow plants that require little moisture, then one thing to keep in mind is that you need to loosen the silt from time to time. What this will do is cause the water to evaporate but allow air to reach the roots.
#2: Sand
Since sand is made up of rocks, having a topsoil of this variety means that the rough texture and loose base will cause the water to drain substantially. This is a serious disadvantage as plants need moisture to take roots and grow.
If you want to grow plants in sandy soil, pick plants that are acclimatized to desert conditions. Some of these include desert shrubs, cactus, hibiscus and tulips.
#3: Chalk
Found on limestone beds, one of its qualities is that it becomes hard to work with in the rainy season but drying out really quickly in the summer. As a result of using this topsoil, plant growth will be stunted while the the pH value will be at 7.5, thanks to the absence of moisture.
To deal with this, add acid-rich minerals as well as substantial amounts of manure, peat and compost too.