Parent material is the unweathered material from which a soil is formed. Soils resemble the parent material from which they come. The nature of the parent material will have a strong effect on the properties of young soils and will exert lesser influence on older soils. Properties of the parent material that exert an influence on soil development include texture, mineral composition and degree of layering. The chemical and mineral composition of a soil often not only determine the effectiveness of the weathering forces, but in some instances partially controls the natural vegetation.
Soil acidity encourages mineral decomposition and the overall development of the soil profile.
Where parent materials are rich in lime, development of a soil is delayed, and it remains immature for a longer period of time. The degree of stratification or layering has an important influence on the properties and uses of a soil. For instance, a layer of soil which is high in clay can make an otherwise useless sandy soil suitable for crop growth by adding to the water and nutrient retention of the soil. Soil texture refers to the fineness or coarseness of a soil. The texture of a soil is named after the type of particle which is predominant in the soil, i.e. a soil high in sand would be referred to as a sandy soil.