Clay Loam

Profile

USDA classification

27 to <40% clay and >20 to 45% sand.

Particle sizes

Sand 0.05–2 mm; silt 0.002–0.05 mm; clay <0.002 mm (USDA). A particle fraction is not the same as a texture class.

Hydraulic behavior

Measure in place; texture alone does not fix drainage, infiltration or plant-available water.

Nutrient holding

Depends on clay mineralogy, organic matter and pH; not fixed by texture name.

Classification or material name does not establish field capacity, permanent wilting point, salinity, fertility or a calibrated sensor irrigation target. Symptoms are investigation prompts, not diagnoses.

Water & soil context

Moisture (VWC)

No universal field-capacity or permanent-wilting-point VWC for this label. Measure retention and field dry-down at relevant depths; validate sensor response for the installed material.

Salinity tolerance

Determine salinity from an appropriate laboratory EC method and irrigation-water chemistry; texture/order alone does not establish salt status.

Drought tolerance

Available storage depends on retention, rooting depth, restrictive layers and vegetation demand.

Set irrigation using measured root-zone depletion, plant needs and drainage/aeration observations, not a texture-derived percentage. Sensor VWC is not a direct measure of osmotic stress.

Sources & scope

• USDA Soil Survey Manual (2017), Chapter 3: Examination and Description of Soil Profiles ↗

  Definitions of Soil Texture Classes and Subclasses, printed pp.122–124; Figure 3-7 (USDA texture triangle), p.125. Specifically the Clay Loam definition. Percentages are dry-mass fractions of fine earth (<2 mm), not a prescribed blend.

• Tracy et al. (2013): Exploring the interacting effect of soil texture and bulk density on root system development in tomato ↗

  Abstract/highlights and accessible introduction: root response depends jointly on texture and density; loamy sand is not immune. Controlled tomato experiment, not a universal turf bulk-density threshold; full paper not accessed. Verification: direct HTTP fetch blocked (403); publication title and relevant content verified through indexed search text, not a full-text inspection.

• Soil moisture sensors for irrigation scheduling — University of Minnesota Extension ↗

  Sections on volumetric sensors, calibration, field capacity and allowable depletion. Supports site-specific sensor interpretation, not a universal texture/order VWC threshold or any product performance claim. Verification: direct HTTP fetch blocked (403); publication title and relevant content verified through indexed search text, not a full-text inspection.