nina norman wrote:
We just signed on a house and they are to start pouring the foundation next week.
I asked to speak to the landscaper regarding the soil they will put down for the sod and the home seller informed me that the landscaper uses SANDY LOAM. Can anyone please tell me what this is?
This is a link to a soil judging manual, which explains field determinations of soil types (having done this, I can say with confidence that it isn't as easy as it appears):
http://www.unce.unr.edu/publications/Sp ... SP0004.pdf
Below is a primer on the standard soil texture classes, including sandy loam; I wouldn't bet that a contractor's version of sandy loam is the same as a soil scientist's version, and neither is likely to take into account the needs of an organic gardener:
Sands: More than 85 percent sand, the percentage of silt plus 1.5 times the percentage of clay is less than 15 percent.
Coarse Sand. A total of 25 percent or more very coarse and coarse sand and less than 50 percent any other single grade of sand.
Sand. A total of 25 percent or more very coarse, coarse, and medium sand, a total of less than 25 percent very coarse and coarse sand, and less than 50 percent fine sand and less than 50 percent very fine sand.
Fine sand. 50 percent or more fine sand; or a total of less than 25 percent very coarse, coarse, and medium sand and less than 50 percent very fine sand.
Very fine sand. 50 percent or more very fine sand.
Loamy sands: 71 to 90 percent sand and the percentage of silt plus 1.5 times the percentage of clay is 15 percent or more; and the percentage of silt plus twice the percentage of clay is less than 30 percent.
Loamy coarse sand: A total of 25 percent or more very coarse and coarse sand less than 50 percent any other single grade of sand.
Loamy sand. A total of 25 percent or more very coarse, coarse, and medium sand, a total of less than 25 percent very coarse and coarse sand, and less than 50 percent fine sand and less than 50 percent very fine sand.
Loamy fine sand. 50 percent or more fine sand; or less than 50 percent very fine sand and a total of less than 25 percent very coarse, coarse, and medium sand.
Loamy very fine sand. 50 percent or more very fine sand.
Sandy loams:7 to 20 percent clay, more than 52 percent sand and the percentage of silt plus twice the percentage of clay is 30 percent or more; or less than 7 percent clay, less than 50 percent silt, and more than 43 percent sand.
Coarse sandy loam. A total of 25 percent or more very coarse and coarse sand and less than 50 percent any other single grade of sand.
Sandy loam. A total of 30 percent or more very coarse, coarse, and medium sand, but a total of less than 25 percent very coarse and coarse sand and less than 30 percent fine sand and less than 30 percent very fine sand; or a total of 15 percent or less very coarse, coarse, and medium sand, less than 30 percent fine sand and less than 30 percent very fine sand, and a total of 40 percent or less fine and very fine sand.
Fine sandy loam. 30 percent or more fine sand and less than 30 percent very fine sand; or a total of 15 to 30 percent very coarse, coarse, and medium sand and less than 30 percent very fine sand; or a total of more than 40 percent fine and very fine sand, one half or more of which is fine sand, and a total of 15 percent or less very coarse, coarse, and medium sand.
Very fine sandy loam. 30 percent or more very fine sand; or more than 40 percent fine and very fine sand, more than one half of which is very fine sand, and a total of 15 percent or less very coarse, coarse, and medium sand.
Loam7 to 27 percent clay, 28 to 50 percent silt, and less than 52 percent sand.
Silt loam. 50 percent or more silt and 12 to 27 percent clay, or 50 to 80 percent silt and less than 12 percent clay.
Silt. 80 percent or more silt and less than 12 percent clay.
Sandy clay loam. 20 to 35 percent clay, less than 28 percent silt, and 45 percent or more sand.
Clay loam. 27 to 40 percent clay and 20 to 45 percent sand.
Silty clay loam. 27 to 40 percent clay and less than 20 percent sand.
Sandy clay. 35 percent or more clay and more than 45 percent sand.
Silty clay. 40 percent or more clay and 40 percent or more silt.
Clay. 40 percent or more clay, 45 percent or less sand, and less than 40 percent silt.