Want to have the best-looking garden in your neighbourhood? It all starts with the best garden soil. Many home gardeners disregard the importance of soil when planning their seasonal garden despite it being a critical part of the process. In this post, we’ll go over the different types of soil found in Ontario and the Toronto area and give you professional tips on which soil to use to keep your garden healthy and looking great.
Soil Names
You can find several different types of soil in Ontario, with each type divided into a handful of different categories. Here’s a quick breakdown of the various soils and some of their characteristics:
- Organic: This type of soil is the most common in Ontario and is primarily found in the northern part of the province.
- Brunisolic: This type of soil is common in the western part of the province and is found mainly in forests. It’s also located north of Toronto and South of Ottawa.
- Cryosolic: This type of soil is defined by the presence of permafrost, and, in Ontario, you can find plenty of it near Fort Severn.
- Podzolic: This type of soil is found mainly near the shores of Lake Superior in the south-central region of Ontario and mostly in coniferous forests.
- Gleysolic: This type of soil is rare in Ontario, but there are some deposits near Hamilton and Windsor. It typically has a very low oxygen content.
- Luvisolic: This type of soil is found in and around Toronto and in the center of the province. It is a forest soil that contains clay and is mainly derived from sedimentary rock breaking down.
Best Soil to Grow Plants
If your goal is to grow beautiful plants on your property, the ideal blend of soil to choose is called loam. This type of soil is usually the best soil for garden plants and is also known as topsoil or black dirt. It is a mixture of clay, sand, and silt, with the estimated ratio being 40% sand, 40% silt, and 20% clay.
Loam is the best soil for plants because this mixture of all three components can hold nutrients, retain water, drain properly and enable oxygen to get through the soil. You can usually find a variety of different gardening soils at your local garden centre that contain specific percentages of nutrients and ingredients designed for specific results. For example, potting soil is available to create earth-like conditions for potted plants so that they are able to thrive even though they’re not in an actual garden.
How to Prepare Soil for Gardening
When you’re getting ready to start planting, it’s a good idea to prepare the soil for optimal growth and health. Turning the soil over to a depth of at least one foot will help the soil take up water and fertilizer and get rid of any existing roots from the previous year’s garden. You can also try layering soil and mulch on top of your existing soil to mimic what happens in nature. It’s also a good idea to add compost when preparing your soil for gardening so that the soil is rich in nutrients and ready to provide you with a beautiful garden.
Get in Touch with Us
A well-manicured garden is attainable when you trust the experts at Lawrence Park Complete Garden Care. Contact us today.
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