Think of it as the beachy soil that your toes can easily sink into.

✨ Properties:

• Particle Size: Large (0.02 mm to 0.2 mm in diameter).
• Water Drainage: Fast (Imagine a quick sandcastle washout!).
• Nutrient Retention: Low (Like forgetting to bring snacks to the beach).
• Temperature and Aeration: Warm and well-aerated.
• Usability: Light (like lifting a feather!).

🌱 Real-life use: Sandy soils are great for growing early crops, like our favorite french fry ingredient, potatoes!

😢 Downside: They have a low potential for primary productivity due to poor water-holding capacity and nutrient status.

Picture a pottery class; the clay is dense and molds easily.

✨ Properties:

• Particle Size: Tiny (<0.002 mm in diameter).
• Water Retention: High (Like that one friend who won't stop hugging you).
• Nutrient Retention: Strong (It’s like the soil version of a nutritionist).
• Physical Changes: Swells when wet and shrinks when dry.
• Fertility: Can be fertile.

🌱 Real-life use: Ideal for certain plants that thrive in moisture, but need proper draining.

😢 Downside: Too much water and poor aeration can limit primary productivity.

Imagine a cake made with a little bit of everything. Delicious for plants!

✨ Properties:

• Composition: A mix of sand, silt, and clay.
• Water Balance: Retains some moisture but also allows for drainage.
• Aeration & Nutrients: Offers a good balance of air and nutrients.

🌱 Real-life use: Loam soils are the “Goldilocks” of soils; they support high primary productivity.