Sandy soils have high intake rates, tend to drain well, but they usually have low water holding capacities. Loam soils have roughly equal parts of sands, silts and clays. Loam soils tend to be the ideal agricultural soils. A silt loam would feel slippery when wet with some fine granules of sand. A clay loam would feel sticky when moist and one would be able to make a snake or ribbon with it.
Clay soils have high water holding capacities.
The soil texture and water holding capacity can be determined using a county soil survey. Ask your local Cooperative Extension Service, Soil and Water Conservation District or the Natural Resource and Conservation Service for assistance in identifying your soil type. The soil survey will provide details of the soil for many practical applications. Crop Rooting Depth Crops have effective rooting depths. Knowing the depth of your roots is essential for knowing how much water to apply, once you've determined your soil moisture.