Different coinage of tree , like dissimilar species of plant or flower , need different soil requirements . Some trees opt more or less acidic soil , some demand nutritious loam soil and others prefer the water retention of clay soil . To experience what type of Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree grows best in your lawn , or to see if it is suitable for a tree that you may have in judgement , you must test your filth ’s case , acidity and drain .
Step 1
Test your soil ’s pH levels . There are many ways to do this . One is to buy an electronic pH beat which , when stick in into the dirt will give you an exact measurement of your territory ’s pH.
If you do not desire to invest in a pH meter , some horticulture and home improvement storehouse like Lowe ’s will prove a prepared grease sampling for detached ( see Lowes.com for detail ) .
Another innocent choice is to test your grease ’s pH level yourself . Unearth a few inches of soil with your spade . Scoop out a sample at that astuteness and dump it into a bucket . Then total a half - cupful of vinegar . If your soil bubbles , then its highly alkaline . If it does n’t , take another spadeful of soil and add a half a loving cup of water system and mix it into the dirt . Then , take a half - cupful of baking soda and fuse it in . If it burp , then your land is highly acidulous . If neither combination have a chemical reaction then your soil has relatively balanced pH. This method will only tell you if your soil is highly alkalic or acidic , but as most tree grow in relatively pH balanced soil this will be enough to warn you if your filth is currently unsuitable for growing certain species .
Step 2
square up what case of soil you have in your yard . The three general types of soil are clay , loam and sand . Most soils are a blend of two types . When testing your soil type , dig a few in into the ground and sample the soil there .
Clay soil trial : Take a smattering of territory in your bridge player in your paw and squeeze it . If the stain retains the shape of your hand or run out to break aside then you have clay stain .
Sandy soil examination : Take a handful of soil in your manus and pressure it . If it decay right away , your soil is sandy .
Loam filth test : Loam soil is a combination of sandy and remains soil type and is the most prevalent in the United States . Take a smattering of this soil and wedge it . It will neither get together like stiff soil or crumble like sand but lie somewhere between the two extreme point .
Step 3
examine your grease ’s drain . savvy a goodish hole in your one thousand ( ideally where you plan on planting your tree diagram ) and fill it with water . If the water is still there in the morning , then your soil drains poorly . If it is gone in a few hours then your grime drain rapidly . Most soils will consist somewhere between the two .
Step 4
Test your grime ’s fertility . The only way to examine the available nutrient in your ground is to get a soil fertility trial kit . These can be a rather expensive and unneeded purchase . If you are in doubt about the fertility of your soil , amending it with compost and or a fertilizer is much more cost effective and something you may have to do after buy the expensive test kit anyway .
