How Does the Soil Affect Your Shrub?

The type of soil you plant your shrub in and the characteristics of the soil affect your shrub in many different ways.

What is Soil Texture, and Why is It Important?

Soil texture is determined by the combination of sand, silt, and clay (in percentages) that make up the uppermost soil layer known as topsoil. Ideally, you want your soil to be a blend of all three, or what is known as loam. Loam soils drain well while holding onto a suitable amount of water and nutrients.

Soils with a higher percentage of clay don’t drain well. The water stays trapped between the soil particles, and the ground stays way too wet. One of the benefits of clay, though, is it also holds onto nutrients well.

Sand has the opposite characteristics of clay. It doesn’t hold onto water or nutrients, but they drain very quickly.

What is Organic Matter, and Why is It Important?

Soil organic matter is the fraction of decomposing or fully decomposed plant and animal matter. It helps prevent soil compaction, improves water retention, improves soil fertility by holding onto nutrients, and helps buffer soil pH changes.

What is Soil pH, and Why is It Important?

Soil pH measures how acidic or basic (i.e., alkaline) the soil is, just like the acidity we are familiar with regarding liquids like vinegar or lemon juice. Knowing your soil’s pH is important because it directly influences the nutrients in the ground. If the pH value is too acidic or basic, it can make nutrients unavailable to the plants or create toxicities.

Ideally, you want the soil to be neutral or slightly acidic—most plants like a pH value between 6.0 and 7.0 because it has the best nutrient availability.

Testing the Soil to Determine Its Characteristics

Commercial soil testing labs will analyze a soil sample for a small fee to determine its texture, organic matter content, and pH value. Along with the results, they will often provide recommendations on how to amend the soil before planting.

To collect a soil sample, collect some small shovelfuls from where you are planting and mix them in a bucket. After collecting a sample, spread the soil out on newspaper to dry overnight.

Amending The Soil Before Planting

The best way to amend the soil for shrubs is to work on an area slightly larger than the holes you need to dig. If you are planting a hedgerow or numerous shrubs in one bed, work the entire area.

The following amendments, or additions, help improve the texture, organic matter content, water holding capacity, soil pH, and fertility.

If your soil is high in clay or sand, add finished compost or fully decomposed cow manure to increase the organic matter.
If your soil is acidic, you can add lime to raise the soil pH.
If your soil is alkaline, you can add sulfur products to lower the soil pH.
If your soil is deficient in nutrients, add the recommended amount of fertilizer based on your soil test results.