Humus is organic matter partly or wholly decomposed.

A generous addition of humus or compost will help make soil more friable.

What’s the Big Deal About Loam?

Man with a wheelbarrow full of soil

Solidago / Getty Images

Why aregardenersand landscapers so in love withloam?

The answer is easy to understand if you consider the alternatives.

What is the result of this porosity?

On the other hand,soilwith too much clay does not drain well.

Another problem with overly clay soils is often compaction, one solution to which is working in some loam.

How do you solve the problem of compacted soil?

In a lawn, you’ve got the option to correct the problem mechanically throughcore aeration.

The tunneling systems created by a healthy earthworm population can help correct compacted soil conditions.

Turning a compost pile frequently is one way to avoid such compaction.

But you have to be careful that the load does not contain therhizomesof aninvasiveweed such asJapanese knotweed.

One suspects that loam deliveries have been largely responsible for the spread of this terrible weed over the years.

Acquiring loamy soil in this manner can become quite expensive if you are attempting to cover large areas.

One compromise is to grow plants inraised beds.

These structures come in many shapes and sizes.