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Many home gardeners find themselves buying plants each year and can't seem to keep them alive. You might be one of them who even says, "I just don't have a green thumb." It seems like you are watering, fertilizing, and nurturing the plant but ultimately it fails in the end. Have you ever thought about the soil, the foundation for your plant to survive. Different types of soils and blends of soils exist. Some soils contain more clay, sand, and silt while others hold more organic matter and compost. Choosing the correct soil blend for your plants is pertinent to the success of them.
Organic Garden Soil: organic garden soil will contain a blend of "loam, composted fines, pine bark, and an organic fertilizer." Organic garden soil in the landscape will allow for moisture retention, excellent drainage, and friability. With its ability to "rewet easily" and not compact it will be a great planting medium for "all vegetables, flowers, and plants." In the spring it can be a great idea to add 1-3 inches of organic garden soil over your landscape beds to provide natural fertilizer and nutrients to your existing plants.
Landscapers Mix Soil: when planting trees, shrubs, and perennials it can be a great idea to use a landscapers soil mix to amend the soil. This soil blend will contain compost, natural soil, sand, and even some shredded pine bark. Landscaping soil mix is a great choice for "rejuvenating existing flower and shrub beds" due to it containing minerals and nutrients along with the ability to drain well. When renovating a complete landscape the mix should be tilled to a depth of 6-12 inches into the current soil to provide new plantings with a good foundation. Adding in organic garden soil with the mix can help improve the amount of compost your landscape will contain.
Enriched Soil w/ Compost: using soil that contains nutrients and compost when planting new sod grass is an excellent choice. Enriched soils will contain loam which will drain well yet hold moisture for your sod grass and its roots. Along with containing loam, enriched soil will provide compost helping to provide nutrients and natural fertilizer. Planting new sod grass with enriched soil and compost can make a huge difference in how well your lawn does over a long period of time. We are all aware that a new lawn is an investment and it should be taken care of.
sources: www.livingearth.net