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Water is held between soil particles by capillary forces. Coarse sandy soils have large pores and water drains through it quickly. Clay soils have smaller pores and are able to hold more water.
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoSome clay can. Like soft clay will absorb water but hard clay does not absorb as much... likely none at all.
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoit rarely does. when water falls on clay, the clay just absorbs just a really tiny small amount of water. The clay actually just gets went. Clay is not really a good absorbent of water
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How can you increase soils ability to hold water?
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.
What are the differences between garden soil and clayey soil and sandy soil?
There are three basic types of soil, sandy soil, clay soil and garden soil. Clay soil is full of clay hence the name of the soil is clay soil. This type of soil is thick and it can hold water well but it is hard for plants to absorb nutrients because the soil is too thick. Sandy soil is full of sand . It is very easy for plants to absorb nutrients form this soil but it doesn't hold water well. Garden soil combines the two different kinds of other soil. It can hold water well as well as it gives the plants more nutrients too.
How are clay soils and sandy soils different?
they are different because caly soil can hold water extremley well but sandy soil holds water poorly
What are the differences between sandy soil and clay soil?
Sandy soil isn't a typical and a soil to be recommended if you're planting because it has generally a huge amount of sand in it which makes it relatively and almost infertile, or is usually not good when it comes to absorbing water. Clay on the other hand, absorbs water well, because it's thicker and it can hold and sustain water. ~x~
How does the type of soil affect the amount of water it can hold?
Compactness with the free space of the soil differs the water that it can hold.For example: in Sand, it has free space but there is no compactness so it just does not get stored in the sandy soil but in a Clay, it has compactness but no good free space so, it takes time to intake water while Lacustrine and other loamy soil can absorb the water and store it very fast manner with compactness to hold the water as well as the free space for the water to be placed.
Why are sandy soils generally less fertile than clayey soil?
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.
Does clay soil absorb water well?
not really because clay has particles close together
Which soil is better at letting water drain through it sandy soil or clay soil?
In clay soils are very small gaps between the rock particles, and so clay soils do not drain well. In sandy soils there are bigger gaps between the particles, allowing the soil to drain well and contain enough air.
What vegetables can you grow well in clay soil?
I have red clay soil and I don't think anything grows well in it unless you dig most of the clay out and put top soil in it.
Which type of soil is fine grained and holds water extremely well?
There are four main types of soil: sand, loam, silt, and clay. Each one has a different granule size, and different water retention rates. Granule size is important when referring to gardening because the larger the granule size, the more air can get to the roots. Air is a very important factor in eliminating root-rot.Sandy soil consists of comparatively large granules, causing it to not hold water very well. However, on the other side of the spectrum, clay soil has minuscule granules, which makes it very hard for it to absorb water in the first place, but once it does, it will hold it for an extremely long time. Loam is considered the "ideal" soil because it balances water retention with granule size providing the optimum medium for bacteria and plants to grow. But clay soil remains the soil type with the finest grain and highest water retention rate.
Which type of soil is fined-grained and holds water extremely well?
There are four main types of soil: sand, loam, silt, and clay. Each one has a different granule size, and different water retention rates. Granule size is important when referring to gardening because the larger the granule size, the more air can get to the roots. Air is a very important factor in eliminating root-rot.Sandy soil consists of comparatively large granules, causing it to not hold water very well. However, on the other side of the spectrum, clay soil has minuscule granules, which makes it very hard for it to absorb water in the first place, but once it does, it will hold it for an extremely long time. Loam is considered the "ideal" soil because it balances water retention with granule size providing the optimum medium for bacteria and plants to grow. But clay soil remains the soil type with the finest grain and highest water retention rate.
What absords water better clay or sand?
It depends on the particle size of each but some clays such as bentonite are very highly absorbent. This is why it is used for cat litter and as a drilling fluid when drilling bore holes. Although sand may take up water quicker it does not have the capacity to hold on to it. You can see this effect on a beach when the tide goes out the sand soon becomes firm and then dry. Now contrast that with a muddy area which remains muddy for some time after the water has drained off..
