What Is Loam And What Is It Used For?

By Author: William Hauselberg
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Loam is the most desirable bedding material for gardens and lawns because it has qualities that foster good plant growth. However, loam alone isn’t enough. Buy loam compost mix to create the perfect environment for healthy plants. A 50/50 loam, half loam and half compost, is a great material to establish plants in.

Soil: Our Link to Prehistory

Loam is a mixture of soils, the weathered remains of the stony materials of the earth’s crust. The physical and chemical actions over billions of years have eroded these materials into tiny weathered particles which make up our soils. Geologists break soils into three classes: clay, silt, and sand. Each of these classes has different water retention and mineral qualities important for the health of plants. Loam is a balanced composition of clay, silt, and sand.

Loam: The Foundation for Plant Life

The specific composition of soils that loam comprises varies, but its principal water retention qualities remain the same. Since water is key to a plant’s health, a soil’s ability to drain well but also retain water is important; Roots rot with too much ...
... water, and plants dry out with too little water. Clay, the finest of the soil particles, slows the passage of water, while sand, the largest particles, lets water pass through the relatively large gaps between its grains. Silt, at a size between clay and sand, has some of both qualities. A balance of these three particles results in a soil that not only drains well to prevent rot but also retains enough moisture for good plant growth. It is this balance that constitutes loam, the foundation for good gardens.

Organic Matter: The True Stuff of Plant Life

While loam provides a solid foundation for healthy plants, it is only half the story. Very decayed organic matter, such as compost from a properly maintained compost bin, provides the materials plants use to grow. Compost represents immediately available nutrients, which along with soil minerals, are used as the key components of plant structure, blossoms, and fruit.

A Happy Couple: Loam and Compost

The addition of compost to a good loam creates a complete healthy plant environment. When putting in a new planting bed or redoing an existing one, Buy loam compost mix to give your plants a healthy environment. For all purposes, 50/50 loam provides a good balance of water retention, minerals, and organic matter to maximize your garden returns.

As mentioned in the article, 50/50 loam, is the best base to establish plants in. You can Buy loam compost mix from the website of the author of this article.