All About Soil All About Soil

Soil can basically be separated into 5 main parts: Humus Clay Silt Sand Loam

Humus: A dark, moist soil composed of bits of dead, rotting insects, animals, leaves, roots, sticks, and food.  Humus adds nutrients to the soil which plants need to grow and live.

Clay: A soil that holds water. When wet, clay feels slippery and slimy Clay: A soil that holds water.  When wet, clay feels slippery and slimy.  It is made of particles that are smaller than 0.004 millimeters.

Silt: Soil that looks like fine grains or tiny pieces of rock Silt: Soil that looks like fine grains or tiny pieces of rock.  Particles classified as silt measure from 0.004 millimeters to 0.006 millimeters.

Sand: Soil that is coarse and drains quickly Sand: Soil that is coarse and drains quickly.  Sand particles measure from about 0.006 millimeters to 2.00 millimeters.

Loam: Loam is a mixture of humus, clay, silt, and sand Loam: Loam is a mixture of humus, clay, silt, and sand. Most farms use loam as their soil.

What is a Soil Profile? A soil profile is a view of a cross section of soil.

What is soil texture It is the relative sizes of the different soil particles.

The major Soil Texture Classes Sand-largest particle Silt-medium size particle Clay-smallest particle

What is Soil Structure? Sand, silt and clay particles combine with one anther to form cluster called aggregates. The way in which aggregates or clusters are arranged is referred to as soil structure.

Soil Structure Categories