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The next time you dig a hole in your garden, look at a spadeful of dirt to see if you can identify the top two layers of soil: topsoil and subsoil. If you dig deep enough, you’ll hit the third layer, bedrock.

Topsoil is usually dark in color and is packed with nutrients, small insects and rodents, and microscopic organisms. The subsoil is lighter in color and lacks most of the nutrients, flora and fauna of topsoil.

If you have a new lawn or garden, the topsoil may have been removed. If you want to grow in such a space, you will have to add top soil, or mix sufficient organic matter and nutrients into the existing soil to bring it up to “topsoil” standards.

Take a handful of your soil and crumble it in your hand. Your soil will lie between two extremes: sand (which has larger soil particles) and clay (much smaller particles). Each extreme has pros and cons. Clay retains moisture and can be packed with nutrients, but is hard to work. Sand is quite easy to dig, but does not retain water and lacks fertility. If you can work your soil to a state that is a good mix of both types (known as “medium loam”) you’ll be in good shape to start planting your garden.

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