# Soil Question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soil-question/685481>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [April 6, 2014, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soil-question/685481 "2014-04-06T16:15:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2014, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soil-question/685481/21 "2014-04-07T01:35:57Z")

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> [@Hello\_Again](#):
>
> There’s an [Univ of TN Agricultural Extension office in Clarksville](https://extension.tennessee.edu/montgomery/Pages/default.aspx). They will have the absolute latest and greatest in knowledge of what is growing and can be grown in their county. [Here are just a few of their services of interest to gardeners](https://utextension.tennessee.edu/Pages/yardGarden.aspx)

That looks like it could be a valuable site.

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**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2014, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soil-question/685481/22 "2014-04-07T01:55:02Z")

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> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#):
>
> If I buy a place in the country a big garden and greenhouse would be one of the main reasons I would be moving out there. I would like to grow as much variety as I could. In Ca. the question could more easily be answered if you asked what I didn’t grow.

There’s an [Univ of TN Agricultural Extension office in Clarksville](https://extension.tennessee.edu/montgomery/Pages/default.aspx). They will have he absolute latest and greatest in knowledge of what is growing and can be grown in their county. [Here are just a few of their services of interest to gardeners](https://utextension.tennessee.edu/Pages/yardGarden.aspx). You can also get your soil tested there.

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2014, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soil-question/685481/23 "2014-04-07T11:56:50Z")

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> [@Jackmannii](#):
>
> Most (with the exception of plants like alpines) do not like rocky soil, especially if the finer particles are very clayey.

I disagree (except maybe the bit about the clay, which the OP did not specify).

Many mediterranean region plants thrive in a free draining gritty soil - cistus, rosemary, broom etc, as well as olive, fig, citrus (assuming climate is suitable).  
Spring and summer flowering bulbs (and bulb-like perennials) also do well in gritty soil that is baked dry in summer - tulips, crocuses, star of bethlehem, scilla, etc.  
South African perennial daisies such as osteospemum will do just fine in that context, as will many ephemeral savannah-type plants, plus succulents and coastal plants.

Of course, the soil will need improvement for some things - and raised beds might be the solution for that, but there are plenty of choices of garden plant beside alpines.

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