Unlocking the Secrets of Sand, clay and Silt Soils
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Soil is the natural medium of the earth for plants to grow in. It is made up of organic and inorganic particles which bond together in various ways and create topsoil, subsoil and parent rock. The most valuable profile is the topsoil as it contains the most oxygen, moisture, minerals, organic matter and mirco organisms. The depth of the top soil varies and in Australia it is our most precious resource as our topsoil is old and thin.
The most important component of all soils is oxygen as it allows the plants roots to respire (absorb oxygen). The next important component is moisture. There needs to be good pore space (the gap between the soil particles) to allow the moisture, oxygen and micro-organisms to move through.
There are 3 main soil types sand, clay and silt and their classification depends on their particle size. Sand has large particles, good pore space but rarely sticks together, clay has very small particles that do stick together but has poor pore space and silt is a mixture of whatever has been washed down during a flood and is a mixture of organic matter, sand and clay. Each type of soil has good and bad properties.
A sandy soil drains freely, nutrients are easily Buy Weed Online Australia leached out (washed through the soil), has large pore spaces (therefore a high oxygen content) and is easy to work. Generally sandy soils don't expand or contract.
A clay soil holds large amounts of water,
