Improving the Soil

Soil is another word for dirt. Plants need soil to grow. What kind of soil is in the garden? Is it loose and sandy? Is it thick like clay? Is it somewhere in between? Soil that is too loose and sandy can’t hold water. Soil that is thick like clay is slow to absorb or soak up water and is slow to release it. To improve sandy or clay-like soil, you may need to add 1-2 inches of compost to the soil before planting. Compost looks like dirt and is a natural way to add vitamins to the soil and give plants the nutrients or vitamins they need to grow. If you use native plants in your xeriscape, then you do not need to add compost. Simply loosen the soil before you plant.

Learn more about soil
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/firstgarden/basics/dirt.html
http://school.discovery.com/schooladventures/soil/