So, What Actually Is Loam? If you’ve ever wondered why a cricket square plays so differently to the outfield around it, the answer is almost always underfoot — in the loam. Specialist loam is one of those materials that most people never think about until something goes wrong: a pitch that won’t bind, a square that crumbles at the crease, or a green that just doesn’t hold true. Get the loam right, and none of that ever becomes a conversation. At its simplest, loam is a soil made up of a specific balance of sand, silt and clay. But “specialist” turf loam is a different thing altogether from garden soil — it’s engineered. The clay content, particle size distribution and mineral makeup are all carefully controlled to give the finished surface exactly the playing characteristics a groundsman needs: enough binding strength to hold together under repeated impact, but not so much that it turns to concrete in dry weather or slurry in wet. For sports turf, clay content is everything. Too little, and the surface breaks up under footwork and studs. Too much, and it becomes hard, unpredictable, and prone to cracking. Getting that balance right is what separates a specialist supplier from a bag of generic topsoil. What Is Specialist Loam Used For? Specialist loams are the backbone of several sports surfaces, but they’re most critical for: Each of these uses calls for a different loam profile. A loam that’s perfect for a fast, true cricket wicket would be entirely wrong for a golf green’s drainage needs — which is why “one size fits all” doesn’t really exist in this world and at Green Infrastructure, we understand exactly what is needed where Top Dressing: Where Loam Does Its Quiet Work Most specialist loam isn’t laid once and forgotten — it’s applied gradually, season after season, as top dressing. A thin layer worked into the surface after aeration or scarification tops up the clay content that natural wear steadily strips away, keeps levels consistent, and helps repair the inevitable damage of a season’s play. Skipping this step, or using the wrong loam for it, is one of the most common reasons pitches degrade faster than they should. The right top dressing programme, using a loam matched to the sport and the existing soil profile, is what keeps a surface performing well year after year rather than needing a full renovation every few seasons. Choosing the Right Loam for Your Surface A few questions worth asking before ordering any loam: A good specialist supplier will ask these questions before recommending a product, not after you’ve already ordered a tonne of the wrong thing. Why It’s Worth Getting a Specialist Involved Loam looks unassuming — it’s soil, after all — but the science behind a well-formulated turf loam represents decades of testing and refinement. At Green Infrastructure Ltd, our loams have been developed and supplied for over 80 years, built on an understanding of exactly what different sports surfaces need to perform consistently, season after season. Whether you’re renovating a cricket square, dressing a bowling green, or maintaining a sports pitch across a full season, getting the loam specification right is one of the simplest ways to protect the quality of your surface for years to come. Want advice on the right loam for your project? Get in touch with our team or browse our loam products to find the right match for your surface.

The Adams and Stewart soil binding test (ASSB) or Motty test as it is commonly known is still a very good method for measuring soil strength. Particularly in that it can be simply done at home without the need to use specialist equipment. Soil strength is very important when selecting clay loam dressings for cricket pitches. The potential success of the wicket is directly related to the percentage of clay content found in the soil profile of the cricket pitch. At Green Infrastructure, we can give you expert help and guidance on the right type of loam and treatments for your ground.  Please do get in touch with us and we can discuss your needs. There are a number of clay loam suppliers in the UK who specialise in blending and mixing loam soils for use in the turf grass industry. The clay content in these products can vary immensely ranging anything between 22-32%. The larger the percentage of clay content in your soil, the stronger the binding strength will be, however, having the highest clay content is not always the criteria to base your requirements on. You need to look at the age of the users and the standard of cricket you are catering for. Using higher clay content soils also require a greater input of resources. High clay content loams tend to shrink and swell more readily, thus you need to control the rate of drying by the use of covers and sheets. Not all clubs have these resources available, therefore, it may be more desirable to use lower clay content loams which are easier to manage. The performance of your wicket is dependant on a number of factors: • The choice of clay loam being used• Type of square construction• Preparation and maintenance procedures• Machinery, equipment and resources available• Knowledge of the Groundsman The combination of these factors will dictate the condition of your square and the performance of your pitches, however, the end result will be influenced entirely by the type of clay loam you manage and the percentage of clay material there is in the soil profile. As a groundsman it is important to accurately identify your soil classification. Ideally, you should take a number of soil samples from your square at a depth between 20-100mm.These samples should be labeled with the date and location taken and sent to a laboratory for classification, measuring for Particle Size Distribution (PSD). This will give you a breakdown of the clay, silt and sand percentages in your soil. Once identified you will be in a better position to manage your square. Once you know your clay content percentage, you can then decide on what clay loams are desirable for you. This is where the ABBS /Motty test becomes an aid to choosing a compatible loam. The concept behind the Motty test is to determine the strength of the sample taken on your square and compare it with other loam samples, thus finding a compatible soil for use on your facility. The process begins with the taking of some soil extracted from your square, obtaining enough material to produce several Motties, remember you need enough soil to create a ball approximately 20mm (3/4″) in diameter for this test. Procedure: (a) Crumble the loam down into a workable size (less than 2 mm). Remove all fibrous matter from the sample (i.e. living roots, grass plant leaves, dead and decaying matter and thatch, any small stones). Transfer half a cupful to a clean plate. (b) Moisten the sample with distilled water if available (otherwise with tap water) until it can be moulded by hand. Water must be added slowly to ensure that the soil does not become too wet to mould. (c) Mould vigorously by hand over a period of 5 minutes to destroy all aggregation. Add more water if necessary. (d) Roll the soil into a ball and place it on a clean plate. Cover the soil with a wet cloth (wrung out by hand) and leave standing for 2 hours. (e) Re-mould the soil by hand, making sure that it is plastic but not sloppy. It should have the consistency of putty and have little tendency to stick to the hands. It should also readily mould into a ball without forming cracks. (f) Roll into a sausage shape approximately 12.5 mm (0.5 inch) in diameter and cut into sections 25 mm (1 inch) long. (g) Carefully mould each section into a ball and then roll between the palms of the hands. (h) Place the Motty balls onto clean plates and allow to air dry in a cupboard for 7-10 days. (i) Place each dried ball in turn on a bathroom scale and slowly exert pressure (with a piece of wood) until the ball breaks. Make a note of the reading when the ball breaks. (j) Discount the lowest value in each set and obtain the mean value of the rest. (k) Readings between 45 and 90kg (100 to 200lbs) have been shown to be optimum for British soils. Apart from local materials, there are several recognised loam suppliers in the UK: GSB, Binder, Surrey, Ongar, Mendip, Kaloam, Boughton. Use of Marl is not encouraged nowadays as it can cause layering. A simple modification to the motty test was proposed and endorsed by Professor W A Adams who recognized the potential to assess loam compatibility, particularly when top dressing. The modification involves joining two half motties of different loams together along the flattened face of each hemisphere. It is important not to trap any air along the joining surfaces, as this may affect results. If there is excessive differential shrinkage between the two halves on drying the Motty will duly separate, thus the soils are not compatible. If both loam types remain strongly bonded and only break after pressure, these two loams are likely to be compatible. The Motty test is a simple reliable field test that can play an important part in determining the selection of clay loams

When establishing a new cricket square, getting the right loam is an important part of achieving good grass establishment and, ultimately, a successful playing surface. There is a long-standing belief in cricket ground management that different loam types should not be mixed. However, compatibility should not necessarily be assumed. There are tests available to establish whether different loams are compatible, including the Motty Test. At Lindow Cricket Club, the head groundsman carried out a Motty Test to assess whether our GSB County Loam was compatible with the loam previously used on the site. The test confirmed that the two loams were compatible, allowing work to begin on the newly built square using our GSB County Loam. The loam was applied across the new square and, as the accompanying before-and-after images show, the results have been excellent. Work at the beginning of the process on the new square at Lindow. Loam being put down The grass has established strongly following the application of the loam, providing a good covering across the new square and demonstrating the importance of selecting the right product for the conditions. For groundsmen working on new cricket squares, the message is simple: rather than relying on assumptions about whether different loams can be used together, compatibility can be tested before application. At Lindow Cricket Club, the Motty Test provided confirmation that GSB County Loam was compatible with the existing loam, giving the grounds team confidence to proceed with the application. The resulting grass establishment speaks for itself.