# Nutrient Capacity of Soils
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Soil Structure
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Clay particles are the smallest component of a soil's profile. Soils are categorized by the size of their particles. Sand particles are the largest at up to 2 millimeters, and clay particles are the smallest, at up to one thousand times smaller than sand. The finer the particles and the more tightly they are packed together, the more they affect a soil's nutrient-holding capacity.
Cation Exchange Capacity
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A soil analysis will yields its ability to retain nitrients, known as cation exchange capacity, or CEC. A soil's ability to retain nutrients is measured by its cation exchange capacity (CEC). This value is determined by a soil analysis and will quantify whether a soil is able to retain cations, a certain type of nutrient.
Soil Adjustments
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Large quantities of lime are required to adjust the pH of a soil that has a high CEC. The CEC of a soil will impact what is required to adjust its pH. Soils with a high CEC value, 15 to 40, have higher clay particles and will require a greater quantity of an amendment, such as lime, to adjust a pH. Low CEC values, such as 1 to 10, have a higher quantity of sand and do not hold onto nutrients well.
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- Measuring Soil's Drainage Capacity
- Expansion Coefficient in Soils
- What Is in Loamy Soil?
- Amending Natural Soil
- Soil Series Classification
- Standard Soil Classification
- Rocks in Soil
- Soil Moisture-Holding Capacity
- How to Calculate the Field Capacity of Soils
- Comparison of Soil Textures
- Soil Structure & Texture
- Flow of Water in Soils
