Types of Soil

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1. Sandy Soil
 consists of small particles of weathered rock
 one of the poorest types of soil for growing plants
 it has very low nutrients and poor water holding capacity
 usually formed by the breakdown or fragmentation of rocks like granite,
limestone and quartz
  it drains quickly and dries out fast

2. Silt Soil
 finer than sand
 made up of rock and other mineral particles
 the smooth and fine quality of the soil that holds water better than sand
 holds moisture well and is rich in nutrients
 more fertile compared to the other types of soil
 used in agricultural practices to improve soil fertility
 commonly found in floodplains

3. Clay Soil
 consists of over 50% clay particles
 The particles in this soil are tightly packed together with each other with
 has very good water storage qualities
 the densest and heaviest type of soil; referred to as “heavy clay” 
 does not drain well or provide space for plant roots to flourish.
 tends to be more nutrient-rich than other soil types
 it has the particles that make up clay soil are negatively charged
  attracts and pick up positively charged particles, such as calcium, potassium, &
magnesium

4. Loam Soil
  a combination of sand, silt and clay
 referred to as an agricultural soil as it includes an equilibrium of three types of
soil materials
 has the ability to retain moisture and nutrients; hence, it is more suitable for
farming
 has higher calcium and pH levels because of its inorganic origins
 more nutrients and humus than sandy soils
 have better infiltration and drainage than silt soils
  considered ideal for gardening and agricultural uses

5. Chalk Soil
 has a high alkalinity and pH due to the amount of lime and calcium carbonate
 due to the high pH, chalk soils can lead to yellowed leaves
 typically not considered to be very fertile 
 can inhibit growth in grapevines, as the high alkalinity interferes with the uptake
and processing of nutrients and energy.
 does not support the growth of ericaceous plants that require acidic soils to grow
 leaches out iron and magnesium
 it overlays limestone bedrock or chalk, so it’s free draining

6. Peat Soil
 formed from partially decomposed plant material under anaerobic water saturated
conditions
 found in peat lands (also called bogs or mires) 
 high in organic matter and retains a large amount of moisture
 It’s acidic and helps to slow down decomposition
 rich in nutrients, which makes it great for plant growth
 heats up quickly

Sandy Soil
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Chalk Soil
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Peat Soil
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Clay Soil
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 Loam Soil
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Silt Soil
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What is Soil?
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 complex mixtures of minerals, water, air, organic matter, and countless organisms
  It forms at the surface of land – it is the “skin of the earth”
  capable of supporting plant life and is vital to life on earth
 consists of 45% minerals, 50% empty spaces or voids and 5% organic matter
  performs many important functions such as:

1. Providing a growth medium for the plants

2. Acts a modifier of the earth’s atmosphere
3. One of the most crucial components of the biosphere
4. Provides habitat for organisms

Soil Profile
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Layers of Soil
The soil profile is composed of a series of horizons or layers of soil stacked one on top of the other.
These layers or horizons are represented by letters O, A, E, C, B and R.

O – (humus or organic) Mostly organic matter such as decomposing leaves. The O horizon is thin in
some soils, thick in others, and not present at all in others.
A - (topsoil) Mostly minerals from parent material with organic matter incorporated. A good
material for plants and other organisms to live.
E – (eluviated) Leached of clay, minerals, and organic matter, leaving a concentration of sand and
silt particles of quartz or other resistant materials – missing in some soils but often found in older
soils and forest soils.
B – (subsoil) Rich in minerals that leached (moved down) from the A or E horizons and
accumulated here.
C – (parent material) The deposit at Earth’s surface from which the soil developed.
R – (bedrock) A mass of rock such as granite, basalt, quartzite, limestone or sandstone that forms
the parent material for some soils – if the bedrock is close enough to the surface to weather. This
is not soil and is located under the C horizon.

Physical Characteristics of Soil

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1. Soil Texture
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 1. Soil Separates and Texture
Soil Separates
- the major part of soil is the mineral components.
- Mineral fraction of soil consists of particles of various sizes.
- According to their sizes, soil particles are grouped into following types;

Classification Size (mm)

Soil Separates
Clay below 0.002
Silt 0.002 - 0.02
Fine Sand 0.02 - 0.2
Coarse Sand 0.2 - 2.0
Gravel more than 2.0

Soil texture
- the feel of the soil when a moist quantity is manipulated between thumb and forefinger
- some soils are sticky, others will not stick together at all, while other feel "doughy" or
"spongey".
- Clay stick to your boots, loams are easily moulded but non-sticky, sand are not cohesive at all
and cannot be moulded when moist.
Soil Triangle
- the graph shows groupings of soils and the name that is given to that grouping
- Silt Soils always have more than 25% of silt sized particles
- Loams have less than 40% clay sized particles
- when moist soil is manipulated in the hand, sand, loams and clays feel very different.

2. Structure of Soil
- Structure refers to the aggregation of primary soil particles (sand, silt and clay) into compound
particles
- it modifies the effect of texture in regard to moisture and air relationships, availability of
nutrients, action of microorganisms and root growth
-- Peds
--- Structural units
--- have distinct boundaries and well defined planes of weaknesses between aggregates
--- can take several shapes

3. Soil Density
- expressed in two well accepted concept as PARTICLE DENSITY & BULK DENSITY

-- Particle Density
--- weight per unit volume of the solid portion of soil
--- general particle density of normal soil is 2.65 g per cubic centimeter
--- the particle density is higher if large amount of heavy minerals such as magnetite, limonite
and hematite are present in the present in the soil
--- with increase in organic matter of the soil the particle density decreases

Particle density (GRAPH)

Textural Classes Particle Density (g/cm3)
- Coarse Sand 2.666
- Fine Sand 2.659
- Silt 2.798
- Clay 2.837

PARTICLE DENSITY
Textural Classes Particle Density
(g/cm3)
Coarse Sand 2.666

Fine Sand 2.659

Silt 2.798
Clay 2.837

-- Bulk Density
--- oven dry weight of a unit volume of soil inclusive of pore spaces
--- the bulk density of a soil is always smaller than its particle density

Bulk Density (GRAPH)

Textural Class Bulk Density (g/cc) Pore Space (%)
- Sandy Soil 1.6 40
- Loam 1.4 47
- Silt Loam 1.3 50
- Clay 1.1 58
 BULK DENSITY

Textural Bulk Density Pore Space

Classes (g/cc) (%)
Sandy Soil 1.6 40

Loam 1.4 47

Silt Loam 1.3 50

Clay 1.1 58

4. Soil Porosity
- the percentage of soil that is pore space or voids
- the average soil has the porosity of about 50%
- Sands have larger pores, but less total pore space than clays
- if bulk density and particle density are known, the total porosity can be calculated using these
values;

5. Soil Colour
- Soil Colour gives an indication of the various processes going-on in the soil as well as the type
of minerals in the soil
 SOIL COLOUR INDICATION

COLOUR INDICATION

Red Colour Presence of iron, phosphorus

may be less available to the
plant, free draining
Dark Brown Colour High Organic matter content
Yellow Colour Moist conditions, restrictive
drainage, less weathering
Black humus
Grey, Blue/Green Hues Poor drainage, water logging

- Red Colour - Presence of iron, phrosphorus may be less available to the plant, free draining
-- Dark Brown Colour - High Organic matter content
-- Yellow Colour - Moist conditions, restrictive drainage, less weathering
-- Black - humus
-- Grey, Blue/Green Hues - Poor drainage, water logging