Soil consistency is the strength with which soil materials are held together or the resistance of soils to deformation and rupture. Soil consistency is measured for wet, moist and dry soil samples. For wet soils, it is expressed as both stickiness and plasticity, as defined below.

loam

The consistence of soil affects the growth of plants by determining how much moisture is able to reach the plants roots. Soil that has a consistency leaning more towards sand and silt are much better suited to growing plants as more water can flow through the soil at a faster rate reaching the roots.

As moisture contents increase, clay and silt soils go through four distinct states of consistency: solid, semi-solid, plastic, and liquid.

Units of density are typically expressed in g cm–3 or Mg m-3. Note that total volume of the soil sample equals the volume of the solids and the volume of the pores. Porosity is usually expressed as a decimal, but it can also be expressed as a percentage by multiplying the decimal form by 100%.

Specific Gravity(G) Specific gravity is defined as the ratio of the weight of a given volume of soil solids at a given temperature to the weight of an equal volume of distilled water at that temperature, both weights being taken in air.. The specific gravity of the soil particles lie with in the range of 2.65 to 2.85.

Why Does This Test Matter? Knowing the specific gravity of soils helps engineers understand how porous the soil is or how many voids it contains. It also indicates how saturated the soil is with water.

Significance and Use 1 The specific gravity of soil solids is used to calculate the density of the soil solids. This is done by multiplying its specific gravity by the density of water (at proper temperature).

Soils are named and classified on the basis of physical and chemical properties in their horizons (layers). “Soil Taxonomy” uses color, texture, structure, and other properties of the surface two meters deep to key the soil into a classification system to help people use soil information.

Words used to describe soil and soil quality – thesaurus

• alluvial. adjective. made of earth and sand left by rivers or floods.
• boggy. adjective. boggy ground is always very wet and soft.
• chalky. adjective. containing chalk.
• heavy. adjective.
• heavy. adjective.
• light. adjective.
• marshy. adjective.
• peaty. adjective.

Here is a break down of the common traits for each soil type:

• Sandy soil. Sandy Soil is light, warm, dry and tend to be acidic and low in nutrients.
• Clay Soil. Clay Soil is a heavy soil type that benefits from high nutrients.
• Silt Soil.
• Peat Soil.
• Chalk Soil.
• Loam Soil.

Explanation: Silt, clay and sand are the three main types of soil. Loam is actually a soil mixture with a high clay content, and humus is organic matter present in soil (particularly in the top organic “O” layer), but neither are a main type of soil.

Soil is the thin layer of material covering the earth’s surface and is formed from the weathering of rocks. It is made up mainly of mineral particles, organic materials, air, water and living organisms—all of which interact slowly yet constantly.

Signs of healthy soil include plenty of underground animal and plant activity, such as earthworms and fungi. Soil that is rich in organic matter tends to be darker and crumbles off of the roots of plants you pull up. A healthy, spread-out root system is also a sign of good soil.

Is there such a thing as soil that is too rich? Yes, soil can be too rich. Organic matter should only make up about 5% of the soil, or else some nutrients may become toxic, and it may be challenging to maintain a balanced ecosystem.

Six tips for healthy soil in your garden

1. Test your soil.
2. Add organic matter.
3. Incorporate compost to compacted soil to increase air, water and nutrients for plants.
4. Protect topsoil with mulch or cover crops.
5. Don’t use chemicals unless there’s no alternative.
6. Rotate crops.

Minerals. There are numerous different minerals, all charged with an important task to promote plant and soil health. Nitrogen – All plant and animal proteins contain nitrogen. It is essential to life. Potassium – An essential plant nutrient involved in the regulation of photosynthesis and water management in plants.

Soil provides plants with foothold for their roots and holds the necessary nutrients for plants to grow; it filters the rainwater and regulates the discharge of excess rainwater, preventing flooding; it is capable of storing large amounts of organic carbon; it buffers against pollutants, thus protecting groundwater …

Healthy soil gives us clean air and water, bountiful crops and forests, productive grazing lands, diverse wildlife, and beautiful landscapes. Soil does all this by performing five essential functions: Regulating water – Soil helps control where rain, snowmelt, and irrigation water goes.

That potting soil is worn out because the peat moss has decomposed. That peat moss can decompose even if you never take it out of the bag. If your potting soil has been sitting in your shed since last year in an opened bag and it’s gotten wet, toss it. If it somehow stayed bone dry, it should be OK to use.

Healthy soil is the foundation of productive, sustainable agriculture. Managing for soil health allows producers to work with the land – not against – to reduce erosion, maximize water infiltration, improve nutrient cycling, save money on inputs, and ultimately improve the resiliency of their working land.

Healthy soil is crucial to plant health. Soil microbes have a symbiotic relationship with plants, as plants provide sugars/exudates to microbes and microbes make nutrients bio-available for plants, plants then provide nutrients to animals and plants and animals provide vital nutrients to humans.

Root support, water and air for the growth of food and fibre. Cycling of nutrients into plant usable forms. Purification of water through the percolation process that relies on good soil structure. Storage and cycling of carbon.

Good soil aggregation—the minerals, air, water and organic matter—is essential for maintaining good soil structure that enables adequate air exchange and water drainage. The texture of a soil is a good indication of its health. Soil texture is usually classified as clay, clay loam, loam, sandy loam, or sand.

Wind erosion can cause significant topsoil loss, as well as health problems, property damage, and harm to crops. Erosion can also be a cause of flooding, as damaged soil cannot absorb as much water as healthy soil.

Loamy

Farming practices such as tilling break up the soil and destroy its natural structure, killing many of the vital bacteria and fungi that live there and leaving it vulnerable to being washed away. “Soil is not just useful for helping us grow food,” says Vargas.

Bare ground causes rain to run off swiftly, carrying with it sediment and soil nutrients. The result is erosion, less productive rangeland, and lower water quality.

Specific gravity is defined as the ratio of the density of the solid part of a material to the density of water at 20°C. Typically, the specific gravity of soils is in the range 2.60 to about 2.80.