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What type of soils are there


Know Your Garden Soil: How to Make the Most of Your Soil Type

Planting & tending could be in vain if your soil quality isn’t up to scratch.

This article has been updated.

Soil provides your plants with the vital nutrients, water and air they require for healthy growth and development. But each plot of ground has its own blend of minerals, organic and inorganic matter which largely determines what crops, shrubs or trees can be grown successfully.

Ideal soil conditions for specific crops can be created in contained plots such as raised beds or planters, but for larger gardens and landscapes it helps to understand the characteristics of the soil you have to work with.

The six types of soil

There are six main soil groups: clay, sandy, silty, peaty, chalky and loamy. They each have different properties and it is important to know these to make the best choices and get the most from your garden.

1. Clay Soil

Clay soil feels lumpy and is sticky when wet and rock hard when dry. Clay soil is poor at draining and has few air spaces. The soil will warm up slowly in spring and it is heavy to cultivate. If drainage for the soil is enhanced, plants will develop and grow well since clay soil can be rich in nutrients.

What to grow in clay soils

2. Sandy soil

Sandy soil feels gritty. It drains easily, dries out fast and is easy to cultivate. Sandy soil warms up fast in spring and tends to hold fewer nutrients as these are often washed away during wetter spells. Sandy soil requires organic amendments such as glacial rock dust, greensand, kelp meal, or other organic fertilizer blends. It also benefits from mulching to help retain moisture.

What to grow in sandy soil

3. Silty soil

Silty soil feels soft and soapy. It holds moisture and is usually very rich in nutrients. This type of soil is easily cultivated and can be compacted with little effort. It’s a great soil for your garden if drainage is provided and managed. Mixing in composted organic matter is usually needed to improve drainage and structure while adding nutrients.

What to grow in silty soil

4. Peaty soil

Peaty soil is a darker soil that feels damp and spongy due to its higher levels of peat. It is an acidic soil which slows down decomposition and leads to the soil having fewer nutrients. The soil heats up quickly during spring and can retain a lot of water, which usually requires drainage. Drainage channels may need to be dug for soils with high peat content.

Peat soil is great for growth when blended with rich organic matter, compost and lime to reduce the acidity. You can also use soil amendments such as glacial rock dust to raise pH in acidic soils.

What to grow in peaty soil

5.

Chalky soil

Chalky soil is larger grained and generally stonier compared to other soils. It is free draining and usually overlays chalk or limestone bedrock. The soil is alkaline, which sometimes leads to stunted growth and yellowish leaves. Resolve this by using appropriate fertilizers and balancing the pH. Adding humus is recommended to improve water retention and workability.

What to grow in chalky soil

6. Loamy soil

Loamy soil, a relatively even mix of sand, silt and clay, feels fine-textured and slightly damp. It has ideal characteristics for gardening, lawns and shrubs. Loamy soil has great structure, adequate drainage, is moisture retaining, full of nutrients, easily cultivated and it warms up quickly in spring, but doesn’t dry out quickly in summer. Loamy soils require replenishing with organic matter regularly, and tend to be acidic.

What to grow in loamy soil

Simple tests to help determine your soil type

The water test

Pour water onto your soil. If it drains quickly, it is likely to be a sandy or gravelly soil. On clay soils, the water will take longer to sink in.

Squeeze test

Grab a handful of soil and softly compress it in your fist.

Settle test

Add a handful of soil to a transparent container, add water, shake well and then leave to settle for 12 hours.

Acid test

The standard pH for soils usually ranges between 4.0 and 8.5. Plants favor soil which has a pH between 6.5 and 7 because this is the level where nutrients and minerals naturally thrive. You can buy a pH test kit here or from a local garden center. As a general rule, in areas with soft water you will have acid soil and hard water areas will tend to have alkaline soil.

Soil test kit

Use a soil test kit to assess primary nutrients (N-P-K) as well as pH levels. By testing your soil, you determine its exact condition so you can fertilize more effectively and economically. Soil should be tested periodically throughout the growing season.

How to make the most of your soil, whatever the type

Plants generally prefer neutral soil but it’s worth bearing in mind that some favor slightly acid or alkaline soils. Regardless of the pH of your soil it is possible to adjust the level slightly to make it more hospitable to the type of plants you want to grow. Remember this is only temporary, so it’s advised to make the most from the soil type you have.

Adding ground lime to your soil will make it more alkaline and aluminium sulfate or sulfur will help to make your soil more acidic.

If your soil is low in nutrients (like sandy soil), try supply it with organic matter such as compost and manure to enrich the soil and improve its texture. Use organic mulches such as straw, dried grass clippings and deciduous leaves. These mulches break down and incorporate into the soil, building a new supply of organic nutrients while improving the soil structure.

Clay soil is often not aerated enough and is deficient in good structure which makes it more difficult for successful growing. To get the most out of clay soil it’s best to add large quantities of well-rotted organic matter in the fall and peat a few weeks before planting. Greensand can also be used to loosen heavy clay soils or bind sandy soils.

It is often difficult to cultivate in chalky soil due to its alkaline nature. To help rectify this add bulky organic matter which breaks down over time, adding nutrients and minerals to the soil.

Make sure your soil is healthy

It’s a good idea to regard your soil as living as your plants – it too, needs food and water. Make sure it contains the three main nutrients: Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium (NPK) which are vital to growing plants effectively. Organic matter and fertilizers are rich in these.

After a crop is harvested the soil needs to be renewed before planting a successive crop. Many gardeners plant ‘green manure’ crops such as legumes, buckwheat, vetch and clover which fix nitrogen into the soil while building texture, improving aeration and drainage and adding organic matter. These cover crops are tilled in before they go to seed, and break down quickly so a new harvestable crop can be planted without much delay.

Crop rotation, green manures and cover crops, the use of mulch and the periodic addition of organic materials like compost and fertilizer are standard ways of restoring soil health after crop harvests. Rock phosphate, or rock dust, is also a valued amendment to restore phosphorus levels needed for vigorous plant growth.

If you can, introduce and encourage living organisms to your soil. The fungus Mycorrhize will aid your plants in the absorption of water and nutrients and worms will help speed up the composting process and help spread fertilizer through the soil.

When you first start out this can all seem very complicated but by identifying your soil type it will make the growing and maintaining of a healthy garden a lot easier. Remember, it’s well worth the trouble as your soil type is never going to change!

Know Your Garden Soil: How to Make the Most of Your Soil Type - 6

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About the Author

Ruth Barton
This article has been written by Ruth Barton on behalf of William Morfoot, soil and land drainage experts with over fifty years’ experience in creating and maintaining healthy soils.

Soil Types - Boughton

Soil is a natural resource that can be categorised into different soil types, each with distinct characteristics that provide growing benefits and limitations.

Identifying the type of soil you require for a project is paramount to support the healthy growth of plant life.

Soil can be categorised into sand, clay, silt, peat, chalk and loam types of soil based on the dominating size of the particles within a soil.

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

Sandy soil

Sandy Soil is light, warm, dry and tends to be acidic and low in nutrients. Sandy soils are often known as light soils due to their high proportion of sand and little clay (clay weighs more than sand).

These soils have quick water drainage and are easy to work with. They are quicker to warm up in spring than clay soils but tend to dry out in summer and suffer from low nutrients that are washed away by rain.

The addition of organic matter can help give plants an additional boost of nutrients by improving the nutrient and water holding capacity of the soil.

Clay Soil

Clay Soil is a heavy soil type that benefits from high nutrients. Clay soils remain wet and cold in winter and dry out in summer.

These soils are made of over 25 percent clay, and because of the spaces found between clay particles, clay soils hold a high amount of water.

Because these soils drain slowly and take longer to warm up in summer, combined with drying out and cracking in summer, they can often test gardeners.

Silt Soil

Silt Soil is a light and moisture retentive soil type with a high fertility rating.

As silt soils compromise of medium sized particles they are well drained and hold moisture well.

As the particles are fine, they can be easily compacted and are prone to washing away with rain.

By adding organic matter, the silt particles can be bound into more stable clumps.

Peat Soil

Peat soil is high in organic matter and retains a large amount of moisture.

This type of soil is very rarely found in a garden and often imported into a garden to provide an optimum soil base for planting.

 

Chalk Soil

Chalk soil can be either light or heavy but always highly alkaline due to the calcium carbonate (lime) within its structure.

As these soils are alkaline they will not support the growth of ericaceous plants that require acidic soils to grow.

If a chalky soil shows signs of visible white lumps then they can’t be acidified and gardeners should be resigned to only choose plants that prefer an alkaline soil.

Loam Soil

Loam soil is a mixture of sand, silt and clay that are combined to avoid the negative effects of each type.

These soils are fertile, easy to work with and provide good drainage. Depending on their predominant composition they can be either sandy or clay loam.

As the soils are a perfect balance of soil particles, they are considered to be a gardeners best friend, but still benefit from topping up with additional organic matter.

Need help choosing the right soil for your growing needs?

You may also be interested in learning more about topsoil and the different grading’s available.

Get in touch with us and we’ll be happy to discuss your growing requirements. We have over 30 years of experience supplying ‘as dug’ and screened topsoils to professional horticulturalists, landscapers and gardeners.

Commercial projects can get in touch via phone on 01536 510515 or contact us here for a free quotation.

We also have an online store for smaller soil purchases: www.garentopsoildirect.co.uk

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Types of soils, their features and ways of improvement. The main types of soils.

Photo - Botanichka

Each of us who is at least a little familiar with biology understands that the success of growing horticultural crops immediately depends on a combination of many versatile factors. Climatic conditions, planting dates, variety, timeliness and literacy of agricultural practices - these are far from all that have a direct impact on the harvest.

Chernozem, humus-rich soil. © NRCS Soil Health

One of the fundamental factors that often plays a dominant role in the outcome of planting a garden and laying out a vegetable garden is the type of soil. It is on what kind of soil is on your site that the possibility of growing certain crops, the need for certain fertilizers, the frequency of watering and weeding will depend. Yes Yes! All this can have significant differences and be beneficial or harmful if you do not know what kind of soil you are dealing with. nine0003

Main types of soils

The main types of soils that gardeners in Russia most often encounter are: clayey, sandy, sandy loamy, loamy, calcareous and marshy. Each of them has both positive and negative properties, which means it differs in recommendations for improving and selecting crops. In their pure form, they are rare, mostly in combination, but with a predominance of certain characteristics. Knowing these properties is 80% of the success of a good harvest. nine0009

Clay soil. © nosprayhawaii

Clay soil

Clay soil is fairly easy to identify: after digging, it has a coarse, cloddy, dense structure; If you roll a long sausage from a handful of such earth (wet), it can be easily bent into a ring, while it will not crumble into pieces or crack.

Due to its high density, this soil is considered heavy. It warms up slowly, is poorly ventilated, and has a low water absorption coefficient. Therefore, growing crops on it is quite problematic. However, if clay soil is properly cultivated, it can become quite fertile. nine0003

In order to lighten and enrich this type of soil, it is recommended to periodically apply sand, peat, ash and lime. Sand reduces moisture content. Ash enriches with nutrients. Peat loosens and increases water-absorbing properties. Lime reduces acidity and improves soil air conditions.

How much to apply is an individual question, directly related to the indicators of your soil, which can only be accurately determined in laboratory conditions. But, in general: sand - no more than 40 kg per 1 m², lime - about 300-400 g per m², for deep digging once every 4 years (on soils with a slightly acidic reaction), there are no restrictions for peat and ash. If there is a choice of organics, then the best option for increasing the fertility of clay soils is horse manure. It will not be useless to sow green manure, such as mustard, rye, oats. nine0003

Clay soils are not easy for plants. Poor warming of the roots, lack of oxygen, stagnant moisture, the formation of a soil crust do not work in favor of the crop. But still, trees and shrubs, having a fairly powerful root system, tolerate this type of soil well. From vegetables on clay, potatoes, beets, peas and Jerusalem artichoke feel good.

For other crops, we can recommend high beds, planting on ridges, the use of a smaller depth of seed and tuber placement in the soil, planting seedlings in an oblique way (for better heating of the root system). Among agricultural practices, special attention should be paid to loosening and mulching on clay soils. nine0003 Sandy soil. © extension

Sandy soil

Sandy soil is a light soil type. It is also not difficult to recognize it: it is loose, free-flowing, easily passes water. If you pick up a handful of such earth and try to form a lump, nothing will work.

All the qualities inherent in sandy soils are both their plus and minus. Such soils warm up quickly, are well aerated, are easily cultivated, but at the same time they cool quickly, dry out quickly, and weakly retain minerals in the root zone (nutrients are washed out by water into the deep layers of the soil). As a result, they are poor in the presence of useful microflora and are poorly suited for growing any crops. nine0003

In order to increase the fertility of such soils, it is necessary to constantly improve their compacting and binding properties. Regular application of peat, compost, humus, clay or drill flour (up to two buckets per 1 m²), the use of green manure (with incorporation into the soil), high-quality mulching after 3-4 years give a decent stable result.

But even if the site is still in the process of cultivation, it is possible to grow carrots, onions, melons, strawberries, currants, fruit trees. Cabbage, peas, potatoes and beets will feel somewhat worse on sandy soils, but if you fertilize them with fast-acting fertilizers, in small doses and often enough, you can achieve good results. nine0003

For those who do not want to bother with cultivation, there is another way to improve these soils - the creation of an artificial fertile layer by claying. To do this, in place of the beds, it is necessary to arrange a clay castle (lay out clay with a layer of 5-6 cm) and pour 30-35 cm of sandy or loamy soil taken from the side onto it.

Sandy loam soil. © pictonsandandsoil

Sandy loam soil

Sandy loam soil is another option for light soils. In its qualities, it is similar to sandy soils, but contains a slightly higher percentage of clay inclusions, which means it has a better holding capacity for mineral and organic substances, not only warms up quickly, but also retains heat for a long time, passes moisture less and dries out more slowly, is well aerated and easy to process. nine0003

You can determine it by the same method of squeezing a handful of moist earth into a sausage or lump: if it forms, but does not hold its shape well, you have sandy loam soil in front of you.

Anything can grow on such soils, with the usual methods of agricultural technology and the choice of released varieties. This is one of the good options for gardens and orchards. However, methods of increasing and maintaining fertility for these soils will also not be superfluous. It is recommended to regularly apply organic matter (in normal doses), sow green manure crops, and mulch them. nine0003 Loamy soil. © gardendrum

Loamy soil

Loamy soil is the most suitable type of soil for growing horticultural crops. It is easy to process, contains a large percentage of nutrients, has high air and water permeability, is able not only to retain moisture, but also to evenly distribute it over the thickness of the horizon, and retains heat well. If you take a handful of such earth in the palm of your hand and roll it up, then you can easily form a sausage, which, however, cannot be bent into a ring, since it will fall apart when deformed. nine0003

Due to the combination of existing properties, loamy soil does not need to be improved, but it is only necessary to maintain its fertility: mulch, apply manure for autumn digging (3-4 kg per 1 sq. M.) And, if necessary, feed the crops planted on it with mineral fertilizers. Everything can be grown on loamy soils.

Lime soil. © midhants

Lime soil

Lime soil is classified as poor soil. Usually it has a light brown color, a large number of stony inclusions, is characterized by an alkaline environment, quickly heats up and dries up at elevated temperatures, poorly gives iron and manganese to plants, and can have a heavy or light composition. In crops grown on such soil, foliage turns yellow and unsatisfactory growth is observed. nine0003

To improve the structure and increase the fertility of calcareous soils, it is necessary to regularly apply organic fertilizers, not only for the main cultivation, but also in the form of mulch, sow green manure, apply potash fertilizers.

Anything can be grown on this type of soil, but with frequent loosening of row spacing, timely watering and thoughtful use of mineral and organic fertilizers. Potatoes, tomatoes, sorrel, carrots, pumpkins, radishes, cucumbers and lettuces will suffer from low acidity, so they need to be fed with fertilizers that tend to acidify rather than alkalize the soil (for example, ammonium sulfate, urea). nine0003 Medium decomposed peat horizon of soddy-podzolic soil. © own work

Marshy soil

Marshy or peaty soils are also used for laying out horticultural plots. However, it is quite difficult to call them good for growing crops: the nutrients contained in them are not very accessible to plants, they absorb water quickly, but they also give it away just as quickly, they warm up poorly, and often have a high acidity index. But, such soils retain mineral fertilizers well and are easy to cultivate. nine0003

In order to improve the fertility of swampy soils, it is necessary to saturate the earth with sand (for this it is necessary to carry out deep digging in such a way as to raise the sand from the lower layers) or clay flour, apply abundant liming on especially acidic options, take care to increase the content of beneficial microorganisms in the soil (apply manure, slurry, compost, do not bypass microbiological additives), do not forget about potassium-phosphorus fertilizers.

If you plant a garden on peat soils, it is better to plant trees either in pits with soil individually laid for cultivation, or in mounds, from 0.5 to 1 m high.

Thoroughly cultivate the soil under the garden, or, as in the case with sandy soils, lay a clay layer and already fill it with loam mixed with peat, organic fertilizers and lime. But if you grow only gooseberries, currants, chokeberries and garden strawberries, then you can do nothing - just water and weed, since these crops on such soils work out without cultivation.

Chernozem. © carlfbagge

Chernozems

And, of course, speaking of soils, it's hard not to mention chernozems. In our suburban areas, they are not so common, but worthy of special attention. nine0003

Chernozems are soils of high potential fertility. A stable granular-cloddy structure, a high humus content, a high percentage of calcium, good water-absorbing and water-retaining abilities allow us to recommend them as the best option for growing crops. However, like any other soil, they tend to be depleted from constant use, therefore, already 2-3 years after their development, it is recommended to apply organic fertilizers to the beds and sow green manure. nine0003

In addition, chernozems can hardly be called light soils, so they are often loosened by adding sand or peat. They can also be acidic, neutral and alkaline, which also requires its own adjustment.

Chernozem. © Axel Hindemith

To understand that you really have black soil in front of you, you need to take the guest of the earth and squeeze it in your palm, a black greasy print should remain on your hand.

Some confuse chernozem with peat - there is also a trick for checking: a wet lump of soil must be squeezed out in your hand and put in the sun - peat will dry instantly, while chernozem will retain moisture for a long time. nine0003

Soil types - soil classification

There is no unified soil classification. This is due to the fact that this material is too complex and unique in its composition and properties of the system. It may contain various components, react differently to certain factors. Therefore, it is impossible to typify all soils by only one parameter. That is why on the Internet you can find all sorts of typologies based on different principles.

In this section we will try to gather all the information about soil types together. We will tell you how and by what principles soil covers can be classified, which underlies each typology.

In GOST 27593-88, devoted to soils, and scientific literature, an attempt was made to separate all soils according to:

Next, we will tell you what lies behind these typologies. nine0003

Soil types

The division of soils into types is considered the main classification. It is called zonal. Another name for this typology is soil-geographic zoning. In other words, it is the association of soils into different groups depending on the natural climatic zones.

The essence of this division is that soils within the same zone develop under the same climatic, water and biological conditions. They have a similar structure, a similar composition of mineral and organic parts. The processes of soil formation of such covers also proceed in the same way. nine0003

All soil types can be conditionally divided into:

Intrazonal soil types are also distinguished separately. Sometimes they are also called non-, extra- or azonal. They are not related to the geographical location of the cover. They have their own characteristics of education, composition. The azonal types include saline soils (saline soils, solonetzes and solods), as well as covers formed in the mountains and floodplains. nine0003

Specific types of soils include such varieties as arctic (antarctic), soddy, tundra, marsh, podzolic, gray forest, chernozem, chestnut, takyr, krasnozem, zheltozem and others. More detailed information can be found in the table below.

Zoning Soil types
Arctic (polar) Arctic (Antarctic)
Tundra Tundra
Taiga-forest Podzolic, soddy, marsh
Forest-steppe Brown forest soils (burozems), gray forest soils, chernozems
Steppe Serozems, chestnut, meadow, brown
Semi-desert Brown semi-desert
Desert Grey-brown, desert primitive, takyrs
Subtropical Red soils, yellow soils, brown, black, gray soils
Tropical Red, red ferralite
Intrazonal Saline (salt marshes, solonetzes of solod), alluvial (they are also floodplain, river), high belt (or mountain)

Read more about soil-geographical zoning and soil types included in a particular zone in our section Soil types - zonal classification by natural zones. nine0003

Soil subtypes

Soil subtypes are inextricably linked to types. Usually they are described within the same zonal classification. Most often, soil characteristic of this type and its transitional forms are distinguished. The latter are just subtypes. In other words, they occupy an intermediate position between the types and differ from each other in the features of soil formation.

A striking example in this group is soddy-podzolic soil. It belongs to the taiga-forest group, in terms of its characteristics, composition and properties it is between sod and podzolic, it is considered transitional. nine0003

Soil subtypes are very numerous. There is no single accepted list. Researchers continually add new terms, but do not structure them. Therefore, the names of soil subtypes on the Internet are always different. For your convenience, in the summary table below, we have compiled for you the most common subtypes of soil cover. It is based on the classification of soils of the USSR, prepared and published in 1967 by the Soil Institute. V. V. Dokuchaev.

Zoning Soil subtypes
Arctic (polar) Arctic desert, arctic typical humus
Tundra Tundra gley, tundra gley podzolized, tundra non-gley, tundra podburs (tundra illuvial-humus), tundra podzolic humus, tundra soddy, tundra volcanic, tundra weakly biogenic, arcotundra
Taiga-forest Sod-podzolic, podzolic-gley, marsh-peat, marsh peat-gley, sod-gley, sod-carbonate, marsh-podzolic, peat-podzolic, permafrost-taiga, frozen podzolic
Forest-steppe Podzolized chernozems, leached chernozems, typical chernozems, light gray forest soils, dark gray forest soils, gray forest gley soils, brown forest gley soils, podzolic brown forest soils, podzolic brown forest gley soils
Steppes Meadow-chernozem, meadow-marsh, meadow-chestnut, light-chestnut, dark-chestnut, meadow podbel (meadow-brown), meadow-gray-brown, meadow-brown, meadow-forest gray
Semi-desert Meadow brown semi-desert, meadow semi-desert
Desert Brown desert-steppe, gray-brown desert, takyr-like desert, sandy desert, meadow-desert
Subtropical Meadow-serozem, gley zheltozem, podzolic-yellow-zem, podzolic-yellow-gley, red-brown, reddish-brown, gray-brown
Tropical Red-yellow soils, red-brown, reddish-brown
Intrazonal saline Meadow solonetzes, solonetzes with solods, dark solonetzes, sod-malt, automorphic solonetzes, semihydromorphic solonetzes, hydromorphic solonetzes, automorphic solonetzes, hydromorphic solonetzes
Intrazonal alluvial Alluvial soddy, alluvial gray humus
Intrazonal high waist Burozem-like (mountain-forest brown), mountain-meadow, mountain meadow-steppe, mountain-taiga, mountain-tundra, mountain podzolic, mountain sod-podzolic, mountain pseudo-podzolic (lithogenic)

Soil types

The soil type is determined in each type and subtype. The classification is based on the difference in local conditions of education. The division is carried out depending on different categories, but at the same time, the influence of all signs is considered in a complex. nine0003

Soil types depend on:

All of them simultaneously affect the mineral and organic composition of the soil, but little change its profile.

According to the generic classification, soils can be:

These are just some of the most basic types of soils. In fact, there are a huge number of them, and it is impossible to describe everything within the framework of one article. After all, the chemical composition of groundwater or local flora can vary even within the same subtype of soil cover. nine0003

Soil types

The division of soils into types implies a genetic classification. It is revealed within the genus. It is based on the degree of manifestation of the main soil-forming process characteristic of a particular soil type.

Depending on the stage of the soil-forming process, soils are classified according to:

These features are considered the most significant in the study and classification of soil cover.

For your convenience, below we have placed a summary table with different types of soils depending on each feature. nine0003

Character of soil classification by species Specific soil types
Degree of humus content Low humus, low humus, medium humus, high humus, fat
Thickness of the humus layer Low power, medium power, high power, heavy duty
Sod layer thickness Light sod, medium sod, deep sod
Podzolic degree Non-podzolic, slightly podzolic, medium podzolic, strongly podzolic, podzols
Podzolizing depth Superficial podzolic, fine podzolic, shallow podzolic, deep podzolic
Surface gleying Non-gleyed, superficially low-gleyed
Salinity Non-saline, slightly saline, moderately saline, strongly saline, very strongly saline
Acid levels Acidic, slightly acidic, neutral, slightly alkaline, basic
Surface horizon morphology Puffy, puffy, faded
Wash rate Low wash, medium wash, high wash

Soil varieties

Identification of soil varieties is their classification by mechanical or granulometric composition. nine0003

Here soils can be:

This is the simplest typology. The first two varieties are light soils, the last one is heavy. Loam occupies an intermediate position.

In addition, on the Internet you can find a classification by variety, in which soils such as calcareous, swampy (or peaty), chernozem, chalky, and silt are singled out as separate points. This is not entirely correct. The fact is that these varieties are presented depending on the content of mineral and organic components. The degree of fertility depends on them. The mechanical composition of soils is based on the percentage of particles of different sizes and their ratio. nine0003

The Soviet researcher N. M. Sibirtsev proposed the most complete classification of soils according to their granulometric composition. The scientist N. A. Kachinsky clarified, detailed and finalized its typology.

They distinguish the following types of soil cover:

Plus, for those situations where there are large particles in the soil (larger than 3 mm), scientists proposed to determine the degree of soil stonyness. Data on this are given in our table:

Stony degree Particle content greater than 3mm, %
Non-stony Less than 0.5
Slightly stony 0.5-5
Medium stony 5-10
Very stony Over 10

This typology helps to determine the main characteristics and properties of soils, such as filtration and water-holding capacity, thermal regime. They, in turn, affect the water regime of soil covers, the rate of their drying.

Also, the classification by variety shows the convenience of working with the soil, how contaminated it is with large particles. The latter can significantly interfere with the cultivation of the soil cover. nine0003

The choice of crops that will be planted on it also depends on the granulometric composition. After all, some plants feel comfortable only on soils of a certain granulometric composition. For example, potatoes and many vegetable crops grow well on sandy and light loamy soils, and tobacco leaf grows well on light sandy covers.

Soil categories

There are two principles in the division of soils into this category.

Classification of soil cover by category depends on:

Read more about them.

Soil categories depending on the parent rock

The first typology, as the name implies, is based on the parent rock on which the soil was formed. It can be divided into types and genesis (origin).

So, according to the type of rock it can be:

According to this classification, soils can form, for example, on granite, shale or limestone.

The second typology depends on the origin of the rock.

Isolate:

You can learn more about them from our article Soil-forming rock as a soil-forming factor.

Soil categories depending on the soil profile

The second division of soils into categories, as we said above, is based on how thick (or thick) the soil profile has. The indicator is measured in cm. It shows how far the soil cover occupies from the surface itself to the parent rock. nine0003

Soil discharges by thickness with all indicators are given in the table:

cover thickness, cm
Strong profile soils Over 120
Soils with a deep developed profile 80-120
Medium profile soils 50-80
Poorly developed soils 30-50
Lithozems Less than 30

In practice, soil profile measurements look like this: This is a lower level typology. Some researchers divide soils into subcategories according to the degree of erosion, others - according to the level of its development by man.

Learn more