Too much sand in the soil will inhibit the soil’s ability to hold nutrients. To improve the nutrient retention of the soil, Majda suggests using biochar, a form of charcoal, which will increase porosity, increased ability to hold nutrients, and increase the amount of beneficial microbes in the soil (2014).

Soils with smaller particles (silt and clay) have a larger surface area than those with larger sand particles, and a large surface area allows a soil to hold more water. In other words, a soil with a high percentage of silt and clay particles, which describes fine soil, has a higher water-holding capacity.

Sandy soils having mostly large sand particles; • Clay soils having many small clay particles; • Silt soils having mostly intermediate sized silt particles; • Loamy soils having a mixture of sand, silt and clay particles. In almost all mineral soils there is some organic material, called ‘soil organic matter’.

1. Soil Texture Test: Clay, Sandy, Silty, Loamy

1. Clay soil is sticky and will hold its shape.
2. Sandy soil feels gritty and will fall apart when opening your hand.
3. Silty soil feels smooth or slippery and will hold its shape, but not as stubbornly as clay.

Different Types of Soil – Sand, Silt, Clay and Loam.

Clay soil has a higher CEC count than sandy soil, meaning that it has more capacity to hold hydrogen ions, but not that it necessarily holds enough hydrogen ions to make it consistently acidic. Clay soil requires fewer chemicals to lower the pH than sandy soil does, making it appear more acidic.

If your plants have a high nitrogen requirement, simply add a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer or composted animal manure to compensate.” Other experts suggest adding gypsum to clay soil to improve drainage, leach salt from the ground and add calcium to the soil. The higher the calcium level, the more acidic the soil.

Soil pH can be reduced most effectively by adding elemental sulfur, aluminum sulfate or sulfuric acid.

Well-decomposed compost helps lower the pH of garden soil over time. Amending your soil each season with compost, which is rich in organic matter, is by far the best way to make your soil more acidic because it is done gradually and creates the most benefits for plant growth.

One of the easiest ways to make soil more acidic is to add sphagnum peat. This works especially well in small garden areas. Simply add an inch or two (2.5-5 cm.) of peat to the topsoil in and around plants, or during planting.

Using Vinegar on Soil To lower the pH level of soil and make it more acidic, vinegar can be applied by hand or using an irrigation system. For a basic treatment, a cup of vinegar can be mixed with a gallon of water and poured over soil with a watering can.

Coffee grounds will not permanently acidify garden soil as do peat moss or sulfur-based additives; they’ll only affect the acidity in the immediate area they’re added to, not the larger, surrounding areas.

It would be sensible to avoid spreading coffee grounds around seeds or seedlings as they may inhibit germination and growth. There is a more obvious reason why using coffee grounds alone for mulching could be detrimental. Like clay soil, coffee grounds consist of very fine particles that are prone to locking together.

Grounds are not acidic; the acid in coffee is water-soluble so the acid is mostly in the coffee. Coffee grounds are close to pH neutral (between 6.5 to 6.8 pH). Coffee grounds improve soil tilth or structure. Coffee grounds are an excellent nitrogen source for composting.

In most cases, the grounds are too acidic to be used directly on soil, even for acid-loving plants like blueberries, azaleas and hollies. Coffee grounds inhibit the growth of some plants, including geranium, asparagus fern, Chinese mustard and Italian ryegrass.

Coffee is an environmentally friendly way to repel unwanted insects and animals in the garden. The smell of the coffee repels snails, slugs and ants. You may also have success using coffee grounds to repel mammals, including cats, rabbits and deer.

Glad to hear coffee grounds are working for your tomato plants! Nevertheless they’re often used on acid-loving plants like azaleas, rhododendrons, blueberries and tomatoes. Be careful, however, not to overload tomatoes with too many coffee grounds. Tomatoes like slightly acidic soil, not overly-acidic soil.

Although coffee grounds do not kill ants, they do repel many ant species. If you feel ants are a major threat to pets, plants and people, hot coffee dumped directly on the anthill will kill some ants that come into contact with the hot liquid.

A mixture of dish soap and water: Make a mixture of dish soap or dishwashing liquid, put in a spray bottle and shake it well. Spray it on the ants. The solution will stick to the ants and the dish soap suffocates the ants to death.

Cayenne pepper or black pepper are hated by ants. You can also make a solution of pepper and water and spray it near the entrant areas. The pepper wouldn’t kill the ants but definitely deter them from returning to your house.

How to Get Rid of Ants in the Garden Without Killing Plants?

1. Use Hot/Cold Water.
2. Drop Food-Grade Diatomaceous Earth Close to Ant Nest.
3. Introduce Beneficial Nematodes.
4. Use Orange Seed Spray.
5. Cinnamon.
6. Liquid Soap and Oil.
7. The Borax and Sugar Combination.

It’s not recommended to use dish detergent (like Dawn), laundry detergent, or hand soap (even the “natural” versions), since these soaps contain abrasive ingredients that could harm your plants. For DIY insecticide, organic pure castile liquid soap is the best solution since it’s all natural and highly effective.

While you can make a nontoxic solution of equal parts white vinegar and water, along with a squirt of dish soap, to kill ants on your plants, vinegar can harm vegetation because it’s very acidic. Instead, use such a mixture away from your plants and soil.

White vinegar White vinegar kills ants and also repels them. Ants can smell the vinegar after it dries, but the scent doesn’t remain discernible for long to most people.

Combine 1 part baking soda with 1 part powdered sugar. The sugar attracts the ants, and the baking soda is what kills them: It reacts with the acid in their digestive system and they explode.

The secret to getting rid of your ant problem is something called Borax, a 100% natural product found in most ant-control products. You can find it in most supermarkets pretty easily. Soak the Borax mixture up with cotton balls, and then place the cotton balls near any trails the ants have established in your home.

Because ants are attracted to so many items in your home, many people wonder if these insects will actually be repelled by a vinegar solution. The pungent odor of vinegar covers up these pheromones, preventing them from being detected by other ants so that they cannot find their way into your home.

Step 3: Spray Entry Points Use this white vinegar solution to spray all entry points of your home, try to spry all windows, doors, baseboards and the common paths that ants would travel within your home. Give about an hour for this solution to take effect, then after a few hours the ants should be dead.