What components are present in sandy, silty clayey and peaty soil?

Question

What components are present in sandy, silty clayey and peaty soil?

Answer 1

Sandy soils are formed from weathered rocks such as limestone, quartz, granite, and shale and also contain more or less organic matter.

Composition:

more than 35% sand, less than 15% silt and clay

Silty soil is composed of minerals (predominantly quartz) and fine organic particles, it has more nutrients than sandy soil.

Composition:

Silty clay: 30-50% clay, 50-70% silt, less than 20% sand

Silty clay loam: 20-50% silt, 20-50% sand, 20-30% clay

Silt loam: less than 20% clay, more than 50% silt

Clay soils are composed of very fine particles with few air spaces. Some clay soils contain high nutrient levels and plants grow well if drainage is adequate.

Composition:

more than 30% clay, less than 50% silt, less than 50% sand.

Peaty soil contains more organic material than other soils because its acidity inhibits the process of decomposition. This type of soils contains fewer nutrients than many other soils and is prone to over-retaining water

Composition:

almost solely peat

Peat soils may also contain a high percentage of fine sand.

Soil often is a mixture of types: the diagram on this site shows the different compositions:

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/fred.moor/soil...

Answer 2

The three main components of soil are Sand Silt and Clay. Organic matter such as peat is a very vital part of a soil but the above mentioned three are how a soil is typically classified.

The main component of a sandy soil is sand.

The main component of a silty soil is silt.

The main component of a clayey soil is clay.

The main component of a peaty soil would be peat or other organic matter.