loam

1. Soil composed of a mixture of sand, clay, silt, and organic matter.
2. A mixture of moist clay and sand, and often straw, used especially in making bricks and foundry molds.

To fill, cover, or coat with loam.

[Middle English lam, lom, clay, from Old English lām.]

An easily worked, fertile soil, composed of clay, silt, and sand, roughly in a ratio of 20 : 40 : 40. A clay loam has a clay content of 25-40%, a silt loam has more than 70% silt, and a sand loam has between 50 and 70% sand. Loams heat up rapidly, drain neither too slowly nor too easily, and are well aerated.

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In building construction, a mixture composed chiefly of moistened clay, sand, and silt, or some mixture including these ingredients. Once used as a mortar when combined with lime, or used as a plaster with the addition of chopped straw.

An ideal soil for gardening, composed of moderate amounts of sand, silt, and clay. Loam soils are easy to till and effective in retaining moisture and nutrients.

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Loam field

Loam is soil composed of sand, silt, and clay in relatively even concentration (about 40-40-20% concentration respectively), considered ideal for gardening and agricultural uses. Loam soils generally contain more nutrients and humus than sandy soils, have better infiltration and drainage than silty soils, and are easier to till than clay soils.

Loams are gritty, moist, and retain water easily. Loam is ideal for growing crops because it retains nutrients well and retains water while still allowing the water to flow freely. This soil is found in a majority of successful farms in regions around the world known for their fertile land. Loam soil feels mellow and is easy to work over a wide range of moisture conditions.

Different proportions of sand, silt, and clay give rise to types of loam soils: sandy loam, silty loam, clay loam, sandy clay loam, silty clay loam, and loam. A soil dominated by one or two of the three particle size groups can behave like loam if it has a strong granular structure, promoted by a high content of organic matter. However, a soil that meets the textural definition of loam can lose its characteristic desirable qualities when it is compacted, depleted of organic matter, or has clay dispersed throughout its fine-earth fraction.

In house construction

Loam is also used for the construction of houses. Walls covered inside with a layer of loam work well to control air humidity. Loam, combined with straw, is also a widely-used construction material in poorer countries.

See also

• Particle size (grain size)
• Soil texture

External links

• A family house in Romania built with loam and straw

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - sandblandet ler, lermuld, formler
v. tr. - dække med ler

Nederlands (Dutch)
leem, donkere vruchtbare grond, mengsel voor bakstenen, met leem bedekken, leem mengen

Français (French)
n. - terreau
v. tr. - améliorer la terre avec du terreau, recouvrir/remplir de terreau

Deutsch (German)
n. - Lehm
v. - mit Lehm bestreichen

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - πηλός, άργιλος, λάσπη
v. - καλύπτω ή γεμίζω με χώμα από άργιλο, άμμο και οργανική ύλη

Italiano (Italian)
argilla

Português (Portuguese)
n. - barro (m), argila (f) para moldar
v. - cobrir com marga

Русский (Russian)
суглинок, формовочная глина

Español (Spanish)
n. - marga, mezcla de barro y arcilla, adobe
v. tr. - cubrir con adobe

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - formlera, loom, bördig lerjord, sandblandad lera
v. - forma i lera

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
肥土, 用肥土填

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 肥土
v. tr. - 用肥土填

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 비옥한 흙, 찰흙, 점토
v. tr. - 롬으로 메우다

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 壌土, 肥沃な黒土
v. - ロームでおおう

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) الطفال الرملي مزيج من طين ورمل وقش, الطفاليه تربه خصبه مؤلفه من طين ورمل ومادة عضويه (فعل) يصنع الطفال الرملي, يجعل التربه طفاليه‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮חומר, חימר, טיט‬
v. tr. - ‮ציפה בחימר‬

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