When seen together the five soil types—clay, sand, silt, peat, and chalk—look very different. Remember that many soils are a mixture of minerals; the soils illustrated here are as near to the pure mineral as possible. Each soil type has advantages and disadvantages, so each needs a slightly different management technique and supports different types of plants.
1. Clay
This is a heavy, cold soil which feels sticky when moist and hard and compacted when dry. The minute particles are less than 0.002mm in size. This means that clay does not drain easily and is difficult to work in wet conditions. However, it is possible to turn it into a very workable fertile soil. Clay soils are normally well supplied with plant foods and are capable of supporting a wide variety of plants.2. Sand
This is a dry, light soil, which will feel gritty if rubbed between your fingers. Sand particles range in size from 0.2mm, for the very finest sand, to 2mm for the coarsest. Sandy soil is easy to work and particularly good because it warms up quickly in the spring and can therefore be cultivated earlier than most soils. Because it is free-draining, nutrients tend to be lost easily so it will need to be supplemented with a great deal of organic matter as well as extra fertilizer.3. Chalk
A pale, very "hungry-looking" soil, chalk often contains a high proportion of rocks and f lints. The large particles make it free-draining and very quick to lose nutrients and water. Often, the topsoil is rather shallow, making it unsuitable for plants with deep roots. Worse still, chalk is very alkaline; in other words it contains a great deal of lime, making it inhospitable to many plants.4. Silt
This type of soil is neither gritty nor sticky. The soil particles are small —between 0.002mm and 0.02mm, making silt smooth and silky to the touch. When wet, it has a tendency to pack down, leaving the soil cold, heavy, and badly drained, like clay. However, it is possible to improve the texture of the soil by applying liberal quantities of well-rotted compost or manure. Silt soils support the same range of plants as clay.5. Peat
Peat is a distinctive dark brown or gray color, and has a spongy texture. It is rich in decomposed organic matter and therefore requires little additional compost or manure. The younger brown peat is much easier to work and more fertile than the heavier, black, boglike type. All peaty soils tend to become waterlogged, so need to be drained artificially. Peat is usually acid and therefore will need to have lime added to increase the range of plants that can be cultivated.