What you need to know about Santa Barbara Soils

Have you ever wondered about the soil type you have on your property? In Santa Barbara,  we run into  4 varieties  of soil types.

• Monterrey Shale
• Clay
• Sand
• Sandy Loam

In our last blog, we offered some secrets to planting a low maintenance garden. In the course of writing this blog, we realized that an examination of Santa Barbara’s soil types themselves would be helpful because each soil type needs to be treated and amended in a different way.

1. Monterey Shale

This soil is most often found in the foothills of Santa Barbara County. It consists of a chalky substance that has been compressed over thousands of years. The soil is generally white or light grey in color that is actually useful as chalk. It is mainly found on slopes and hillsides, not in a flat area.
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