In addition to the term ''loam'', different names are given to soils with slightly different proportions of sand, silt, and clay: sandy loam, silty loam, clay loam, sandy clay loam, silty clay loam.
A "loamy" soil feels mellow and is easy to work over a wide range of moisture conditions. A soil dominated by one or two of the three particle size groups can behave like loam if it has a strong granular structure (promoted by a high content of organic matter). However, a soil that meets the textural definition of loam can become unlike loamy earth if it is compacted, depleted of organic matter, or has dispersive clay in its fine-earth fraction.
See also: Humus
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