Planting Soil

When planning your Houston landscape, your not-so-secret ingredient is the planting soil. It is the proverbial foundation from which all the glorious plant material—blooming vines, verdant bushes, flowering trees and seasonal color—will spring.

In the excitement of dreaming about planting gardens, many people make the mistake of skimping on the unseen items, like planting soil. However, at Exterior Worlds, we have seen that proper site preparation is a sure formula for lasting success. If you are planting azaleas, the condition of your soil is particularly important. These magnificent plants that herald spring in Houston thrive best when the soil is healthy. Good soil prep is also necessary if you are planting roses.

Soil is a mixture of rock particles, minerals, organic matter, micro-organisms, oxygen and water. The dirt component is usually one predominant element of sand, silt and clay, with a mixture of the other two. We have a high concentration of clay in Houston, which presents special challenges. Clay soil is rich in the mineral-based elements and nutrients that plants need, but it can easily become compacted, especially with regular use, such as foot or vehicular traffic. Additionally, it can also quickly become waterlogged, which causes air pockets to fill with water and kill off soil organisms. The end result—injury to plant roots.

Exterior Worlds advises adding fibrous material and sand to heavy clay soil. Organic matter, such as leaf composts and pine bark, breaks up the small tight-sticking mineral particles to create larger pore spaces that drain more easily and hold oxygen better. For the best planting soil, we recommend a ratio of 1/3 loam (or soil), 1/3 sand, and 1/3 organic matter.

It is also a good idea to avoid working the soil or walking on your garden beds when they are wet, which is another issue with high-content clay planting soil, especially in combination with our Texas coastal weather that is subject to torrential rains. Observing this good practice will decrease the possibility of more soil compaction.

You want soil that retains moisture, but doesn’t remain wet. So we encourage our clients with low-lying areas or zones with drainage problems to use raised beds to keep the root systems of their plants from sitting in water for long periods. Also, after the soil is properly prepared, we recommend that new beds lie fallow for a few weeks to allow them time to settle.

In addition to good soil prep, the next best bet in dealing with clay soil is mulch installation since mulching keeps the clay soil from forming a crust. Because you really can have too much of a good thing, we are always careful not to apply mulch up the trunks or stalks of plants as it will hinder their health.

As one of this region’s premier professional lawn and garden services providers, Exterior Worlds can do the labor-intensive and proper soil preparation as well as the regular application of mulch. You’ll be amazed at the long-term benefits.

The journey of 1,000 steps begins with the first one and, with garden beds, that first step is the soil preparation. Your dream landscape garden design is just waiting.