• Understand eastern Washington soil types to pick the right garden plants.Seiya Kawamoto/Lifesize/Getty Images
  
  Eastern Washington is home to many natural wonders, many vineyards and a unique, dry climate. Gardeners who want to re-create the natural flora of eastern Washington in their own gardens have to turn first to the soil. Explore eastern Washington soil types to find out what you'll need to do to grow the plants you want.
  
  

Sand

• Lightweight sand is present in many eastern Washington gardens. Sand is the largest of all soil particles. It feels rough and gritty when rubbed against the skin because each little particle has hard, sharp edges. Sand packs loosely, allowing water to drain through it very easily. Because of its free-draining nature, sand does not hold many nutrients. Often, gardeners mix their sandy soils with other types of more fertile soils to create richer bases for plants.
  
  

Loess

• Loess soil, common in eastern Washington, occurs in places where glaciers once existed. Loess is made of quartz, clay soil particles and other types of soils. It is created by wind that blows soil particles around. The windblown loess particles may form layers of soil several feet thick. A type of silt, loess is one of the richest and most fertile soil types. Silt soil particles are finer than sand but larger than clay, creating smooth soil that drains well and yet still retains a high level of nutrients for plants.
  
  

Basalt

• Basalt soils are composed primarily of clay particles, though some loam may be mixed in basalt as well. Clay is the smallest soil particle, becoming very sticky to the touch when wet. Tightly packed and dense, clay soils retain a great deal of moisture. Soils containing a lot of clay particles are classified as "heavy" because of clay's ability to soak up and hold water. Clay is very rich in nutrients, but it is very thick and not prone to draining. For some plants, clay is too dense for proper root growth.