Stop picking the wrong plants for your garden with Michael Griffiths' genius soil trick

Garden influencer and author Michael Griffiths makes gardening feel easier and more approachable to those who might not have felt gardening was ever for them. Sharing accessible and knowledgeable content from his own back garden, he’s amassed over 4.4 million likes.

One of his most recent videos shared "one of the easiest things you can do that makes a massive difference" – a clever trick to test your soil that will be so helpful when it comes to planning your summer gardens. And all it takes is a jar, your soil and some washing-up liquid.

It’s such an overlooked but important aspect, too, because whether we’re dreaming of perfecting the on-trend cottage garden look or hoping to attract butterflies and bees with pollinator plants, knowing the difference in soil types is integral in understanding what can and cannot grow.

Try Michael Griffiths' simple soil trick

Sharing his clever test, Michael explains, “Take a jar and dig down around eight inches into your soil and scoop out enough to fill the jar halfway.

“Now top it up with water until it's roughly three-quarters full and then add a teaspoon of washing-up liquid and pop the lid on. Shake the jar for around three minutes and then place it down and let it sit for a few hours.”

When you’re waiting, you can use that time to get some odd jobs done, or start making a wish list for the garden furniture you’re going to invest in – perfect to sit back and appreciate the fruits of your labour.

After giving your jar of soil time to separate, Michael explains, “You'll notice the soil is separated into three distinct layers, sand at the bottom, silt in the middle and clay at the top.

"If you measure the height of each one to work out a percentage of each section and compare that to a soil texture triangle, you would have just figured out the type of soil you have.”

You can easily find a free soil texture triangle online, from the likes of the British Society of Soil Science, or there's one in Michael's book, The Easy Garden.

Once you’ve worked out your soil type, not only will you be able to confidently pick the right plants for your garden, you'll have a better sense of how not to over or under water your soil. And fear not, some plants thrive in poor soil conditions, so there's hope for every plot.

What are the different soil types?

Once you’ve taken the test, you might be stumped as to what to do next. Generally, it’s understood there are six common soil types:

• Clay soil
• Sandy soil
• Silty soil
• Loam soil
• Chalk soil
• Peat soil

Once you’ve identified yours, explore what the garden experts suggest each soil type means for your plants, including how to properly choose what to plant and how best to improve your soil for better growing.