Check the health of your soil before planting. To see if it's loamy in texture, squeeze a ball of it in your fist. If it's loam, it should stay in a ball shape but easily fall apart when poked.

Loam soil has velvety or flour-like texture when dry and will roll into a weak ball shape when wet. 'Loam is the most desirable soil type for gardens, offering good drainage while also retaining ...