Silty soil tends to be extremely dry, as water tends to run off before it can penetrate to the root system. Once it is saturated, it will retain moisture and nutrients longer than sandy soil. Clay shrinks and cracks when it is dry, but becomes heavy and waterlogged when saturated. It warms up slowly in the spring. Lots of it.
Organic matter improves the texture of both sandy and clay soils.
For sandy soils, it helps to retain moisture and adds nutrients to the soil. For clay soils, the organic matter lightens up the heavy texture, allowing excess water to drain more readily and permitting more air to enter the soil. There are several ways to determine your soil composition. One of the simplest methods to determine the percentage of mineral particles in your soil is to conduct the Jar and Water Test . Squeeze the ball in your hand, then open your fingers.