Everything starts with the soil

Squeeze a damp handful. Sandy soil falls apart, clay stays in a sticky ball, and loam holds its shape until you poke it. For pH and nutrients you need a test kit, since you cannot judge either by eye.

Add 2 to 3 inches of compost each year and let worms work it in. Compost improves drainage in clay and water retention in sand, which is why it is the single answer to both problems.

No. It is rich and slightly alkaline, which suits vegetables, roses and most shrubs, but acid-loving plants such as blueberries, azaleas and rhododendrons object. Use it well rotted, and mix it with existing soil rather than planting straight into it.

No. Garden soil compacts in a container, holds too much water and suffocates roots. Use a bagged potting mix, which is lighter and drains faster.

Outdoors, feed at planting and again when fruiting crops start flowering. Indoors, feed every 4 to 6 weeks in spring and summer at half strength, and stop in late fall when growth slows.

Most vegetables and ornamentals do best between 6.0 and 7.0, which is slightly acidic to neutral. Lime raises pH and sulfur or peat lowers it, but both work slowly, so test before you adjust and retest the following season.