Photo by Michael Feldmann Soil is much more than simple dirt. On close inspection, garden soil is a complex mixture of mineral particles, organic materials, moisture, living organisms and chemical nutrients. Different soil types contain different amounts of minerals and nutrients, providing different levels of plant life improvement. The quality of crops depends on the top soil, the nutritional value in which they grow. In order for the crop harvested from the fields to be rich and healthy, a farmer would do well to know the basic properties of the soil, its types and preparation rules before planting plants. There are over 20,000 soil varieties worldwide. But the most common and important types of soils are six main groups of soils: clay, sandy, silty, peaty, chalky and loamy. Each of them has its own good properties, and it is important to know them in order to make the best choice and get the most for your garden.