Soil Type : Total Pore Space in %
Clay: 50-60%
Loamy: 30-50%
Sandy: 20-30%
Major Soil Types
How many types of soil are found on the planet? The answer to this may vary depending on the source you refer to, with some sources putting the number at six and others enlisting at least twelve different types. The fact, however, is that each of these six or twelve types is formed as a combination of three major types: sandy soil, loam, and clay.
Sandy Soil
In terms of composition, sandy soil is around 80 percent sand and roughly 10 percent each of silt and clay. Owing to its high sand content, sandy soil feels gritty to touch.
More importantly, it is free draining in nature and dries very quickly. Despite that, sandy soil is not the first choice for agricultural practices or gardening as it is poor in terms of organic content.
Loamy
As opposed to sandy soil, loam is only 25 – 50 percent sand and somewhere around 50 – 80 percent clay and silt. Though it is heavy as compared to sandy soil, it’s ability to drain water is at par with the latter.
Loamy soil is considered the best bet when it comes to agriculture and gardening; courtesy, its amazing moisture retention ability and high organic content.
Clay
The third major type of soil is clay with its clay content ranging between 50 – 100 percent, and sand and silt content ranging anywhere between 0 – 40 percent. Even though it is fine-grained soil, clay is notorious for its poor drainage ability and absence of air space.
When it comes in contact with water, clay becomes sticky and eventually dries up to become hard as a rock. Water infiltration in it is quite difficult, and that makes it a bad choice for agriculture and gardening despite being high in organic content.
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