Soil Particle Size, Texture, and Porosity, & Porosity, permeability, and H2O Holding Capacity

Soil Particle Size, Texture, and Porosity

made of tiny pieces called particles, and there are three main types: sand, silt, and clay. Sand is the biggest, silt is in the middle, and clay is the smallest. Each type feels different and helps the soil work in its own way

Soil Texture

how big the tiny pieces in the soil are. Sand has big pieces, so it has big gaps between them. This lets air and water move in easily. Clay, on the other hand, has tiny pieces with very small gaps, making it harder for air and water to get in

Porosity, permeability, and H₂O Holding Capacity

Porosity

how much empty space, or pores, there is in the soil. If there’s more sand in the soil, it has more empty spaces, so water and air can get in easily. But if there’s more clay, there are fewer empty spaces, making it harder for water and air to enter

Porosity, permeability, and H₂O Holding Capacity

Effect on Soil Fertility

how good the soil is for plants. If the soil is too sandy, it lets water run through too fast, so plants can’t get enough water and dry out. If there’s too much clay, water can’t reach the roots, making the plants too wet and suffocating them. The best kind of soil for most plants is called loam, which has a good balance of holding water and letting some drain away

Permeability

how easily water can move through the soil. If the soil is good at letting water flow through, we say it has high permeability. If water has a hard time getting through, we say it has low permeability

soil has more empty spaces (higher porosity), it lets water flow through more easily (higher permeability). So, if soil is more porous, it’s also more permeable! They work together like friends

H₂O holding Capacity

how well soil can keep water. If soil has a lot of empty spaces (is more porous or permeable), it doesn't hold water very well because the water flows through quickly. So, the more space there is, the less water it can keep