Planted and FlourishingSample

Not all soil is alike. There are six main types of soil.

1. Sandy soil is dry and feels gritty. It can’t hold water and drains rapidly straight through to places where the roots can’t reach. The nutrients in sandy soil are washed away before they can feed the plant.

2. Silty soil feels smooth; when water is added it’s slick and soapy. If you roll silty soil between your fingers, your hands are left dirty. Silty soil holds water for longer and is full of nutrients.

3. Clay soil feels sticky when wet but smooth when it’s dry. It’s slower to drain water, and it holds onto lots of nutrients. Clay soil is full of food that helps plants grow better.

4. Peaty soil is dark brown or black, soft, has a lot of moisture, and is full of organic matter. Peat has really acidic water, but plant growers use it to regulate other soil so they can keep the right growing conditions.

5. Saline soil is usually found in extremely dry places and is very salty. When a plant is in this kind of soil, it usually damages the plant, and it doesn’t grow well.

6. Loamy soil is the kind of soil that gardens and gardeners love. It’s a balance of three types of soil – silt, sand, and clay. Loam is a dark colour and feels soft, dry, and crumbly. This soil gives plants the right nutrients and the right amount of water for them to grow and flourish.

Just as there are different kinds of soil, there are different kinds of people. People who hear God’s Word but don’t let it grow in their lives let it wash off them, and don’t receive the nutrients it brings. Seeds may be planted in different kinds of soil, and God’s Word may be planted into different kinds of hearts. Let’s allow our hearts to be like good soil!