Soil texture

Definition

Soil texture is the relative proportions of sand, silt and clay in a soil. It affects drainage, water holding, nutrient retention and how easily the soil compacts. Sandy soils drain fast but hold little water and few nutrients, clay soils hold both but can waterlog and set hard, and loams, which mix the three, are often the easiest to manage. Texture is a fixed property that management cannot change much, so it sets the limits for what is realistic. See also: Parent material, Cation exchange capacity, Infiltration, and the guide "How to Observe and Assess Your Soil, and Where to Find Public Data".