SOIL TEXTURAL CLASS CHARACTERISTICS

Rev: 01/01/2020

SAND OR LOAMY SAND

Dry: Loose, single grained; gritty; no or very weak clods.

Moist: Gritty; forms easily crumbled ball; does not ribbon.

Wet: Lacks stickiness, but may show faint clay staining (loamy sand especially). Individual grains can be both seen and felt under all moisture conditions.

SANDY LOAM

Individual grains can be seen and felt under nearly all conditions.

Dry: Clods break easily.

Moist: Moderately gritty to gritty; forms ball that stands careful handling; ribbons very poorly.

Wet: Definitely stains fingers; may have faint smoothness or stickiness, but grittiness dominates.

LOAM

This is the most difficult texture to place since characteristics of sand, silt, and clay are all present but none predominates. Suggests other textures.

Dry: Clods slightly difficult to break; somewhat gritty.

Moist: Forms firm ball; ribbons poorly; may show poor fingerprint.

Wet: Gritty; smooth, and sticky all at same time. Stains fingers.

SILT OR SILT LOAM

Grittiness of sand is well masked by other separates. (Texture most likely SILT LOAM, there are a few SILT soils.)

Dry: Clods moderately difficult to break and rupture suddenly to a floury powder that clings to fingers; shows fingerprint.

Moist: Has smooth, slick, velvety, or buttery feel; forms firm ball; may ribbon slightly before breaking; shows good fingerprint.

Wet: Smooth with some stickiness from clay; stains fingers.

SANDY CLAY LOAM

Dry: Clods break with some difficulty.

Moist: Forms firm ball that dries moderately hard; forms ½" ribbons that hardly sustain own weight; may show poor to good fingerprint.

Wet: Grittiness of sand and stickiness of clay about equal, masking smoothness of silt; stains fingers.

CLAY LOAM

Dry: Clods break with difficulty.

Moist: Forms firm ball that dries moderately hard; ribbons fairly well, but ribbons barely support own weight; shows fair to good fingerprint.

Wet: Moderately sticky with stickiness dominating over grittiness and smoothness; stains fingers.

SILTY CLAY LOAM

Resembles SILT LOAM but with more stickiness of clay.

Dry: Clods break with difficulty.

Moist: Shows a good fingerprint; forms a firm ball; drying moderately hard; ribbons ½"-1" that can be fairly thin.

Wet: Stains fingers; has sticky-smooth feel with little grittiness of sand.

SANDY CLAY

Dry: Often cloddy, clods broken only with extreme pressure.

Moist: Forms very firm ball, drying quite hard; shows fingerprint; squeezes to thin, long, somewhat gritty ribbon.

Wet: Stains fingers; clouds water; usually quite sticky and plastic, but has some grittiness present.

SILTY CLAY

Dry: Same as SANDY CLAY.

Moist: Forms very firm ball; becoming quite hard on drying; shows fingerprint; squeezes out to a thin, long, smooth ribbon.

Wet: Stains fingers, clouds water, stickiness dominates over smoothness, grittiness is virtually absent.

CLAY

Dry: Cloddy, clods often cannot be broken even with extreme pressure.

Moist: Forms firm, easily molded ball; drying very hard; squeezes out to a very thin ribbon 2-3" long.

Wet: Stains fingers, clouds water; usually very sticky with stickiness masking both smoothness and grittiness; wets slowly.

Reference:

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) of the USDA

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