To keep things really simple lets stick with soil as a means in which your garden plants will grow. Soil science can be hard to keep up with but generally, it is not all to complicated and ends up being easier to understand than you thought.

Fertile soil is a must-have when you want your plants to thrive and grow. Understanding the basics of soil will definitely make your gardening projects more successful and enjoyable.

The relationship between your garden plants and the soil you use to grow them is quite interesting. Soil anchors a plant’s roots as well as provides a medium through which your plants can draw nutrients and water.

It also has a third benefit which is that it is a reservoir for oxygen. On the other hand, your plants or parts of plants will eventually die. When they do, they add organic matter to soil.

It’s a win-win, really.

What is soil?

At it’s core, soil is made up of minerals and rocks. Minerals are inorganic substances that are often crystallized. Phosphates, oxides, carbonates, and nitrates are all minerals. There are some minerals that provide valuable plant nutrients.

Amazingly, rocks are combinations of minerals that may even include organic matter. For example, granite is a combination of the minerals feldspar, quartz, and biotite. Limestone is an organic sedimentary rock created from the remains of what investigators believe are ancient shellfish and coral.

How rocks break down

The process in which rocks break down is called weathering. Weathering grinds the rock. In turn, it becomes the mineral portion of the soil that you use in your garden. Weathering is an continual process that has been occurring since time began.

There is also chemical weathering and it changes the composition of the rocks. This more times than not results in making them weaker and more prone to the pulverization process. Yes, water is usually involved in this process.

Chemical weathering occurs in three different ways.

1. When water dissolves rocks.
2. When minerals react with water chemically to form a new compound.
3. Or when oxygen reacts with iron in rocks and oxidizes it.
   

There is a third culprit called physical weathering and it is based on climatic conditions. For example, changes in temperature make rocks expand and contract. Naturally, this causes pieces and layers to crack and fall off.

The forces involved in moving water, such as streams, rivers, and waves, push rocks together, creating smaller and smaller fragments. Likewise, in arid areas the force of the wind lifts and blasts away at larger rocks, eventually turning them into sand and soil particles.

Perhaps you always wondered where sand came from?

The bottom line is that weathering affects different types of rocks in different ways, which results in a wide variety of garden soils.

For example, soil that is derived from granite tends to be acidic. Because Granite is a hard material, the soil particles might be relatively large, especially when compared to soils derived from limestone.

In addition, limestone derived soils are more alkaline. These factors affect both plant selection in the frequency of irrigation, fertilization, and other gardening practices.

Climate affects soil

It goes without saying that climate has a strong effect on the formation of the soil you use. For example, soils that develop in a warm and wet environment, erodes quickly, and chemical weathering is especially fast. In addition, many of the minerals that act as a plant nutrients are washed away.

In turn, the soil becomes acidic and contains a large percentage of iron. Although they look interesting, these red or yellow soils will need additional fertilization to produce healthy plants.

Soils in arid environments are often low in nutrients. Chemical weathering is also slow. Without water, salts accumulate, which are detrimental to plant health.

When you visit an arid environment, the soil often needs to be strained, washed, with large quantities of water in order to remove salts before plants can be grown successfully. It also needs this leaching process to occur periodically thereafter to keep salt from building up.

The essential gardening point to remember is that soils in dry climates tend to be on the alkaline side.

All plants, from the tallest to the smallest, start out in this life small with specific needs to their own survival in order for them to grow. Many processes are involved as there are over 400K species in the green space around the world.

Take away only one element necessary for life, like water, and the plant will struggle and in the end, die. It’s up to you to provide the necessities it needs to grow and be fruitful.

The Roots Is Where It Begins

In order to deliver what a plant needs, it’s important to know how plants grow and blossom. Essentially all plants are comprised of the same features. Of course, they have roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and they also have a vascular system.

The way a plant’s system works is similar to how a human’s circulatory system works. Think of the veins and arteries and their functions. They perform the indispensable task of transporting nutrients and water through a plant.

Then there is xylem that moves water and nutrients up from the roots. On the other end of the spectrum, phloem transfers carbohydrates down from the leaves to the plant’s roots.

The Purpose Of a Root System

Roots are almost always covered in soil and their job is to support and anchor the plant. They also have the vital task of absorbing water and nutrients in order for the plant to remain healthy.

The 2 types of roots to take note of are anchoring and fibrous. The difference between the two lies in their function. The job of the anchoring roots operates to hold the plant in position in the soil and can often time store carbohydrates. Their appearance is also one that is described as thick.

Fibrous roots are the second type of root and they consist of fine roots that spread matlike from the top of the plant. They are also known for staying close to the soil surface. What sets the fibrous roots apart is that they do an excellent job of catching water before it penetrates the soil.

What you will notice is that the tips of actively growing roots are comprised of root hairs. What is interesting about these hairs is that they are almost invisible yet they are the absorptive tissue of the roots.

They help the roots take up over 500-700 times more water than they otherwise wood without them. Having these minuscule root hairs helps increase water and nutrient absorption.

Roots With a Special Purpose

There are numerous plants that have specialized roots that are miraculously adapted to the growing conditions in which the plant lives.

Roots That Grow Above The Surface

Also known as aerial roots, these grow above the soil and contribute extra support for the plant. An example of this type of root can be seen in palm tree ivy and corn. Of added interest, the roots of tropical trees can actually take in moisture from the air around them.

Unexpected Roots

Roots that grow in unexpected places are called adventitious roots. If you look closely at grasses, you’ll see that roots will develop where a stem simply comes in contact with the ground. It’s fascinating. (You can read more about this in this landscaping article.

Carbohydrate Storage Roots

The name of these roots gives away their purpose. The roots actually store the plant’s food, carbohydrates, to use down the road. Many plants have storage roots. A more popular one is carrots.

Healthy Roots

Roots that fall under this classification need water in order to grow. They are not aggressive enough and will not grow through the soil to find the water or oxygen the plant needs.

Overwatering the garden which can cause waterlogging to occur as well as compact soil has little oxygen. Without the necessary oxygen, these roots naturally die.

Other Root Growth Factors

There are more than just water and oxygen required for root growth. Salts, soil texture, as well as soil temperature, also play a key role. The ideal environment for growth is when the soil temperatures range from 4 degrees Celsius and 10 degrees Celsius.

The great thing about salt is that it will appear naturally in soil. You can also ensure salt is in the soil by fertilizing since it’s a byproduct.

As you can imagine, the salt will hold onto the water it comes into contact with. The problem is when the amount of salt in soil is unreasonable, it is then that plants have trouble taking up moisture.

Another aspect that creates a tough environment for root growth is soil texture. It doesn’t take much imagination to see that roots grow quickly in soil with a light texture. If the soil is compacted, the roots will simply not grow as effectively.

If this gardening information is overwhelming, read this landscaping article about how to hire a professional to help you.

Roots That Are Pruned

When it comes to pruning a root and a stem you will get different results. If a stem is cut it will develop many new stems from buds below the cut. They actually branch out and grow thicker.

On the other hand, when cutting a root, new roots may appear at any point along the remaining root. However, you can be assured that they are when they do appear they will be closer to the cut end.