Soil Appropriate Planting

Working with your soil-type

Every garden in the country consists of a unique mixture of micro-environments combining to offer a variety of garden conditions.

The four main types of soil in the UK are:

• Clay (sticky, difficult to work in wet/dry conditions,  slow to warm, high in nutrients but can get ‘locked’ in clay)

• Sand (gritty and easy to dig, free draining in winter, dusty in summer, leach nutrients, acidic)

• Loam (between clay and sand, hold nutrients well, easily accessible for plants, easy to dig)

• Chalk (rocky/flinty soil, clumps of white chalk, free draining, alkaline)

These soils will vary in their PH level, which will determine the type of growing environment and also help direct you to which plants will thrive with little input and which will need ground preparation or supplementary nutrients.

Plant Suggestions:

Chalky soils:

Trees:

Acer campestre

Acer cappadocicum forms

Acer griseum

Acer Negundo forms

Acer platanoides and forms

Acer pseudoplatanus and forms

Aesculus (Horse Chestnut)

Gingko biloba

Populus alba

Betula

Shrubs:

Buddleja

Ceanothus in variety

Pyracantha

Chaenomeles

Chimonanthus

Forsythia suspense

Escallonia in variety

Hedera

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Clay soils:

Trees:

Acer in variety

Malus

Alnus in variety

Betula, some varieties

Prunus

Corylus

Crataegus

Sorbus

Fraxinus

Shrubs:

Potentilla

Berberis

Chaenomeles

Prunus Lusitanica

Pyracantha

Corylus

Spiraea

Hedera

Kerria

Weigela

Chaenomeles

Viburnum x burkwoodii

Euonymus fortunei

Forsythia

Conifers:

Abies

Taxus

Crytomeria

Taxodium

Lime Free soils:

Shrubs:

Camellia

Kalmia

Leucothoe

Skimmia

Corylopsis

Magnolia

Enkianthus

Fothergilla

Rhododendron

Azalea

Gaultheria

Hamamelis

Poor Draining soils:

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Trees:

Acer pseudoplatanus

Pyrus

Alnus

Quercus robur

Carpinus betulus

Salix

Populus

Shrubs:

Cornus stolonifera varieties

Sambucus

Salix

Conifers:

Metasequoia

Taxodium

Moist soil:

Trees:

Acer negundo

Alnus

Betula nigra

Fraxinus excelsior

Liriodendron

Mespilus germanica

Parrotia

Salix (SS)

Sorbus aucuparia forms

Conifers:

Abies

Cedrus deodara

Metasequoia

Taxodium

Shrubs:

Amelanchier

Hydrangea

Parrotia persica

Philadelphus in variety

Physocarpus opulifolius

Rhododendron

Salix in variety (SS)

Spiraea in variety

Viburnum rhytidophyllum

Perennials:

Astilbe

Lobelia Russian Princess

Caltha

Primula in variety

Hosta

Trollius

Ligularia

For more information on planting for your soil type, or to order plants at a discount from RRP, get in touch with Belgarden today on 07470 962 898 or email info@belgarden.co.uk