Planting Soil Explained: How to Prepare Soil for Planting

There are several key differences between potting soil and planting soil.

• Planting soil: Planting soil, or gardening soil, is topsoil intended for outdoor, in-ground use in flower beds, vegetable gardens, or decorative landscaping. Some planting soils are intended to be mixed with native soils, while others can be placed directly on top of your existing soil. High-quality planting soil will be rich with humus (organic matter) and heavier than potting soil, but it will still have a loamy, crumbly texture. Organic garden soil provides a suitable ecosystem for beneficial organisms such as earthworms, fungi, and insects.
• Potting soil: Also known as potting mix, potting soil is intended for growing plants in containers. It is typically made up of several materials such as vermiculite, perlite, coir, peat moss, plant bark, and sphagnum. In fact, potting soil mixes contain no actual soil because sterile, fungus-free soil is ideal for potted plants. Organic materials in the mix fertilize the plants, while materials like vermiculite or perlite help with drainage. You can find potting mixes specifically formulated for perennials, annuals, cacti, roses, and succulents.

Before planting in your garden, make sure you've got good soil first. Consider these tips for improving any type of soil.

1. 1. Clear away rocks. An abundance of rocks in the soil is a likely indicator of poor soil quality. They provide little to no nutritional value and make landscaping difficult. Rake the topsoil to remove surface rocks. Applying a six-inch layer of organic matter, such as mulch and grass clippings, can help provide enough organic soil for plant roots to grow. If your garden beds are full of large slabs of rock, consider using container plants or planting in raised beds instead.
2. 2. Aerate your soil. Aerating your soil has a number of benefits for your plant, from improving water drainage to increasing proper nutrient uptake. There are different methods of aerating soil, including spiking the soil, removing “plugs” of soil from the ground, or using liquid aeration.
3. 3. Check and adjust the soil pH. To determine the pH of your soil, perform a soil test. The optimal pH range for most food plants is slightly acidic, from 5.5 to 6.5, so if the pH of your soil falls outside of this range, you may need to apply soil amendments to get your garden ready for plants. Certain plants will thrive in slightly different conditions. For instance, pineapples, blueberries, azaleas, and rhododendrons are known as “acid-loving plants” because they thrive in more acidic soils (between 4.0 and 6.0). Plants like asparagus, honeysuckle, and lavender can handle more alkaline conditions (between 6.0 and 8.0). Add ground limestone or wood ash to your existing soil to raise your soil pH. To lower your soil pH, consider applying organic fertilizer, compost, or sulfur compounds.
4. 4. Condition the soil. Soil conditioning is the process of improving poor soil to promote the growth of healthy plants. Soil is mostly made up of clay, sand, and silt. The percentage of these and other components will affect the soil texture, which determines its water holding capacity and aeration levels. A soil structure is loamy—or healthy and fertile—if it has an optimal clay, sand, and silt balance. If not, you can add various soil conditioners such as microbes and peat moss to improve soil quality. This will also help with water retention.

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