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Soil Composition: Four Major Components

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State

Soil consists of four components by volume: inorganic mineral matter, organic matter called humus, and water and air together occupying roughly half of a soil's volume.

Show

Humus, made of decaying organisms and plant matter, improves soil structure and water and nutrient retention.

Watch for

Particle size, not nutrient content, defines sand, silt, and clay — a loam mixes all three with no dominant size.