Soil
• Each component of soil contributes different characteristics to it. Different-sized particles give soil its texture. The ideal soil has approximately equal amounts of sand, silt and clay, according to the Grow Veg website. Soil can be coarse grained, fine grained or highly organic, according to ITC, an associated institution of United Nations University. There are pros and cons to each type of soil, and different types of plants do well in different types of soil. Soil has varying amounts of organic matter, which consists of living and dead organisms.
Sand
• Sand particles hold little water or nutrients but allow for good aeration. This type of soil has a gritty texture. Sandy soils are less fertile than heavier soils, but they warm up quickly in the spring, so they are a good choice for growing seedlings, according to Grow Veg.
Silt and Clay
• Silt and clay soils are heavier than sand. Silt feels gritty like sand but is finer. It's the kind of soil that is blown around in dust storms. This type of soil is often found in floodplains, according to Discovery Education. Clay is heavy, dense soil and is almost as hard as concrete when dry. Heavy soils like silt and clay are fertile but are hard to dig in and take longer to warm up in the spring.
Loam
• Loam is a combination of sand, silt and clay. There are many types of loam soils, and they differ based on the amount of each of the three types of particles they contain. For example, sandy loam is a loam with a higher-than-average percentage of sand, while loam with a high percentage of clay would be considered clay loam. There are many other variations, such as silty loam, silty clay loam and sandy clay loam. Loamy soil holds plenty of moisture but also drains well so that air can reach the roots of plants. It is considered ideal for gardening.