Soil has 5 main components: inorganic particles of rocks and minerals; dead and decaying organic matter, or humus; water; air; and a living community of insects, earthworms, and fungi. It is the combination and amounts of these orgainic and inorganic ingredients that give us our soil.
The framework is what makes the soil stable, and it is the size of these particles that classifies it into sand, silt, or clay. Most soil is a mixture of all three. It's texture is defined by the amounts in which all are present.
Sand feels harsh and gritty, and its grains do not hold together well. Sandy, or coarse textured, soil is easy to work with but does not hold water well.
Silt prarticles are smaller than sand and larger than clay. Silt packs together with fewer air spaces than sand, which makes for slower drainage, but it does not hold together well.
Clay soil packs into compact lumps. Unlike sand and silt, clay particles actually absorb moisture and nutrients. They swell up in the process, closing pores in the soil, compacting it, and impeding drainage.
Loam is the name given to soil which contains sand, silt and clay in such well-balanced proportions that they are all egual...and this is what we stride for. It is friable which means large clods break down easily into smaller particles. It holds moisture well and encourages the organic activity that makes most nutrients available to plant roots.
Humus and fertilizer must be added regularly, of course, to maintain desirable levels, and liming may be needed at times to correct acidity.
Good luck
Barb
barbsblooms@shaw.ca
