Sandy soils are much more permeable that clay soils.
Generally, it's the type with the most clay at the surface. Clay type soils are least permeable, especially when disturbed or compacted when wet by agricultural or forestry heavy machinery. The permeability rate of soil can be somewhat inversely related to it's porosity. Clay soils are very porous, since they can hold more water than a sandy or loamy soil type. However, rate of infiltration and permeability are slow. it can take a long time for water to soak into the soil (rain water entering soil prevents over land flow and therefore flooding). Sandy soils are able to quickly absorb water and generally have higher permeability. Caveat - Sandy soils, in temperate and subtropical climates, often have a limiting clay layer somewhere below the surface that restrict water flow through the soil profile at certain depths. Hope this helps... Bill
All things being equal (which, of course, they never are), sandy soil will feel drier than clay soil because sand provides better drainage, mainly because it far more porous than clay. Clay is dense, less porous than sand, and acts somewhat like a sponge. actually sand is less porous then clay but other then that the above answer is fine. clay has a better ability to retain water like a sponge.
clay soils, loamy soils and sandy soils and mud and peaty soil and silty soiland more they do did'nt do it.
In order for soil to increase its ability to hold water it must have a higher amount of clay present in it. The more clay present in the soil, the more water it will hold. The opposite to this is how sandy or grainy the soil is, if it is too sandy then it will not hold water very well.
No, heavy clay soils drain more slowly than sandy soils. In other words, the composition of the soil determines the rate water travels through it.
Sandy soils are generally less fertile than clay soils because they do not hold water as well as clay soils. Clay soils are usually fertile and hold more nutrients than sandy soils.
Sandy soils are generally less fertile than clay soils because they do not hold water as well as clay soils. Clay soils are usually fertile and hold more nutrients than sandy soils.
Clay soils hold more nutrients, while sandy soils quickly have their nutrients leached by rain.
Generally, it's the type with the most clay at the surface. Clay type soils are least permeable, especially when disturbed or compacted when wet by agricultural or forestry heavy machinery. The permeability rate of soil can be somewhat inversely related to it's porosity. Clay soils are very porous, since they can hold more water than a sandy or loamy soil type. However, rate of infiltration and permeability are slow. it can take a long time for water to soak into the soil (rain water entering soil prevents over land flow and therefore flooding). Sandy soils are able to quickly absorb water and generally have higher permeability. Caveat - Sandy soils, in temperate and subtropical climates, often have a limiting clay layer somewhere below the surface that restrict water flow through the soil profile at certain depths. Hope this helps... Bill
All things being equal (which, of course, they never are), sandy soil will feel drier than clay soil because sand provides better drainage, mainly because it far more porous than clay. Clay is dense, less porous than sand, and acts somewhat like a sponge. actually sand is less porous then clay but other then that the above answer is fine. clay has a better ability to retain water like a sponge.
clay soils, loamy soils and sandy soils and mud and peaty soil and silty soiland more they do did'nt do it.
If one only considers the soil texture, the main driving force for a faster increase in pH in sandy soils is the faster leaching process. Because of the coarse texture of sand, water can easily move through the sandy layers and leach out chemical elements. Naturally, all soils tend to acidify through time if no actions are taken. This proces happens much faster in sandy soils. pH increasing elements such as carbonate (from the weathering of calcium carbonate, very abundant in soils) leach out very quickly. Also the organic decomposition rate is much higher when water is moving faster trhough the soil. This decomposition acidifies the soil as well. Looking at the texture only, a sandy soil is more acidic, just because it is in a further state of weathering, compared to other textures such as clay.
In order for soil to increase its ability to hold water it must have a higher amount of clay present in it. The more clay present in the soil, the more water it will hold. The opposite to this is how sandy or grainy the soil is, if it is too sandy then it will not hold water very well.
No, heavy clay soils drain more slowly than sandy soils. In other words, the composition of the soil determines the rate water travels through it.
Because the pore space (the space between soil particles) in sandy soil is so much larger. In sandy soils, the water is drawn by gravity downward and away from the roots quite easily, but in clay soils, the pore space is so much smaller that capillary action holds the water much more tightly. This is the same reason that clay soils flood more easily and take longer to dry out.
Sandy soils are formed from weathered rocks such as limestone, quartz, granite, and shale and also contain more or less organic matter.Composition:more than 35% sand, less than 15% silt and clay
Clay soils can absorb water, but do so only slowly because they are very fine grained, and the spaces between the grains are very small. This is in contrast to sandy soils where the spaces are big and water penetrates easily. During periods of heavy rain you can quickly get standing water on the surface of clay soils, which soon leads to run-off.