Knowing what type of soil you have to start with is the key to improving the the flower or garden soils. There are 3 basic types of soils: sand, clay and silt. If the soil is too sandy it will not hold water and nutrients long enough for the plants to utilize them. If the soil has too much clay it may cause problems by holding water and staying too wet to till properly. If the soil is too silty it will not hold water very long and when it is dry, the silt is powdery and likely to erode or blow away with the wind.

The goal is to get to a soil condition named loamy. The good part is that it is quite easy to transform your present soil to a loamy soil. Add sand to heavy clay soil, add clay to sandy soil, add clay to silty soil and finally the main ingredient, add organic material or humus. Humus improves drainage and provides more oxygen for root development. About 1/3 of the soil should be organic material or humus. Place or spread 4 inches of organic material on the amended soil and work it in to a depth of 12 inches. The soil should now be ready to plant. Adding organic material every year will help maintain the loamy soil conditions.