The student will copy the diagram-chart shown below by hand using coloured pencils. Students will apply a Header or Title and label the diagram completely. Name and date must be on the diagram also. Name on top right and date on top left.

Clay and silt soils are made of very small particles. They feel slick and sticky when wet. Clay and silt hold moisture well, but resist water infiltration, especially when they are dry. Often puddles form on clay or silt soils, and they easily become compacted.	Loam soil is a mix of sand, silt or clay, and organic matter. Loam soils are loose and look rich. When squeezed in your fist, moist loam will form a ball which crumbles when poked with a finger. Loam soils normally absorb water and store moisture well. Loam soils can be sandy or clay based, and will vary in moisture absorbtion and retention accordingly.	Sandy soils contain large particles which are visible to the unaided eye, and are usually light in color. Sand feels coarse when wet or dry, and will not form a ball when squeezed in your fist. Sandy soils stay loose and allow moisture to penetrate easily, but do not retain it for long term use.

Soil Types

Soils can be divided into three basic classifications: sands, loams, and clays. There is great variation within these basic groups, but these categories will suffice for the purpose of describing where a given plant will or will not grow.

Sandy Soils, referred to as "light" soils, contain large sized soil particles that are loose and easy to work. They allow water to drain readily and tend to be low in nutrients. Sandy soils tend to be more acid than the more fertile loams and clays. If your soil has a pH lower than 5, consider adding lime or wood ashes to bring it closer to a pH of 6 or 7.

Clay Soils are commonly known as "heavy" soils. Consisting of very small, tightly packed soil particles, clays tend to be dense and hard to work. However, they are generally rich in nutrients, have a high water-holding capacity, and can be very productive.

Loamy Soils are "intermediate" between sands and clays. Composed of many different sized soil particles, they combine fertility and moisture-holding capacity with good drainage. Easier to work than clays and better consolidated than sands, loamy soils make an excellent medium for growing most plants. Many prairie plants do best in loam soils.
Source: http://www.wildflowerfarm.com/soil.htm
 
 

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