The texture, structure and organic matter content of your soil should be taken into account. It may be worth having a test produced from a sample of your soil to determine its quality (available nutrients, deficiencies, pH level). In this blog post, our experts answer your questions.

What types of soil are common in Quebec, and what are their specific characteristics?

Clay soil

This type of soil is most often found where the population is more predominant, i.e. in the St. Lawrence Valley, the Outaouais and Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean regions. Clay soil contains a lot of water and retains nutrients well. However, it is very sensitive to frost and drought. It is also poorly aerated, making it difficult for water to drain into the soil.

Sandy soil

This type of soil is known for warming up quickly in spring. It is well aerated, which facilitates the infiltration of water, air and nutrients. However, it has difficulty retaining nutrients and water, which often leads to leaching. Sandy soil is also often acidic, making it difficult for plants to absorb nutrients and protect themselves against disease.

Loamy soil

This soil contains sand, silt and clay. It’s the least common soil in Quebec, but the one that promotes the best plant growth. It’s porous, so it’s well aerated and absorbs water, air and nutrients. What’s more, it helps lawns take root in the soil.

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What can be done to improve clay and sand soils?

We advise you to aerate clay soils to facilitate soil decompaction and the infiltration of water, air and nutrients. Then, it’s always a good idea to add soil once a year to promote soil structure and genetics. Fertilization will also help provide the soil with the nutrients it needs. Finally, to correct soil acidity, we recommend liming in autumn to control soil pH and restore it for better nutrient absorption.

How do you know if the soil is acidic?

You can find out if the soil is acidic by carrying out an expensive soil analysis in a laboratory. Soil samples up to 15 cm deep must be taken from several locations on your property to obtain the best samples. Mix everything together and place 500 grams in a plastic bag for analysis. cVert’s technicians can perform quantitative analyses of your soil’s pH level.

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