Instructions on how to sample soil are given. A soil which is predominantly sandy drains easily and quickly after a rain, is easily worked, and warms up quickly in the spring. But they have a low moisture-holding capacity and therefore must be watered more frequently. They also have a low nutrient-holding capacity and must be fertilized more often. When vegetative cover is lacking, they are subject to wind and water erosion.
Clay soils have very small particles and are capable of holding a great deal of water.
Under rainy conditions or heavy irrigation, they often lack oxygen. All plant cells need oxygen, and if clay soils are water-logged, plants will suffer. The poor drainage of clay-type soils is a definite disadvantage. They often warm up very slowly in the spring. This characteristics can mean a delay of a few weeks in planting seeds in a vegetable garden or setting out annual bedding plants, in effect shortening an already limited Prairies growing season by several weeks.