The Dirt on Soil

What is soil texture? Soil texture is the fineness or coarseness of a soil. It describes the proportion of three sizes of soil particles. The textures of soil include: Sand—large particle Silt—medium-sized particle Clay—small particle

Soil Particle Size

Sand Sand is the largest particle in the soil. When you rub it, it feels rough. This is because it has sharp edges. Sand does not hold many nutrients.

Silt Silt is a soil particle whose size is between sand and clay. Silt feels smooth and powdery. When wet it feels smooth but not sticky.

Clay Clay is the smallest of particles. Clay is smooth when dry and sticky when wet. Soils high in clay content are called heavy soils. Clay also can hold a lot of nutrients, but doesn't let air and water through it well.

Why is soil texture important? Texture is important because it affects: Water-holding capacity—the ability of a soil to retain water for use by plants Permeability—the ease with which air and water may pass through the soil Soil workability—the ease with which soil may be tilled and the timing of working the soil after a rain Ability of plants to grow—some root crops like carrots and onions will have difficulty growing in a fine-textured soil

References Soil Background Picture http://foxsilver.deviantart.com/art/Soil-and-Grass-114597279?qj=15&q=sort%3Atime+favby%3Acc5zt&qo=3666&offset=10 Particle Pictures/Information http://urbanext.illinois.edu/gpe/case2/c2facts2.html http://qldgeotechnical.com.au/main/page_soil_info_soil_types.html Sand Picture http://notesmaster.com/notes/syllabus/viewer/1575-types-of-soils Silt Picture http://westhooksandandgravel.com/BlueClayPondSiltCrushedItem4.html Clay Picture http://soils.usda.gov/technical/classification/orders/ultisols.html