What is the difference between sandy soil and clay soil?

Answer 1

Sandy soil, as its description suggests, has a relatively large amount of sand in it. Sand is grainy and is not very good at absorbing water, so the soil is light and drains well. Clay has a much smaller particle size and is composed of the same substance as chalk. It absorbs water well and, therefore, means that the soil can be thicker and drain much less well. This is a very basic explanation.

As already mentioned; clay holds water (and so nutrients) much better than sand, though is prone to waterlogging, especially in winter, which is dangerous to plants. Clay is much more susceptible to pans, though is generally considered to be a better soil type.