If your soil has a pH lower than 5, consider adding lime or wood ashes to bring it closer to a pH of 6 or 7. Consisting of very small, tightly packed soil particles, clays tend to be dense and hard to work. However, they are generally rich in nutrients, have a high water-holding capacity, and can be very productive. Composed of many different sized soil particles, they combine fertility and moisture-holding capacity with good drainage. Easier to work than clays and better consolidated than sands, loamy soils make an excellent medium for growing most plants.
Many prairie plants do best in loam soils.
Take just enough moist soil to rub between the thumb and fingers. Rub it back and forth several times and feel it very carefully. A clay soil will be slick and smooth, with little or no grittiness. A predominantly sandy soil will be gritty and will not stick together well. A loamy soil will stick together easily, but not tenaciously like a clay.