types of soil Flashcards
clay soil
less than 0.002 mm
poor aeration
good water retention
poor drainage
high mineral ion content
difficult to dig and plough’
difficult for roots to penetrate
sandy soils
0.02 - 2.0 mm
good aeration
poor water retention
good drainage
low mineral ion content
easy to dig and plough
easy for roots to penetrate
chalky soils
formed from calcareous rock
contain a lot of lime making them alkaline
many wild flowers thrive on it
peaty soils
contains an excess of peat formed from organic matter which has only partially decayed due to lack of oxygen
acidic
loams
50 sand
30 clay
12 humus
8 lime
how to improve clayey soils
add lime humus and sand
reduces acidity improves crumb structure aeration drainage and workability
how to improve sandy soils
add humus
minerals and improves water holding capacity
add mulching
minerals and retain moisture
how to improve chalky soils
addition of humus
how to improve peaty soils
addition of lime