Soil for Virginia Master Gardeners What you should know What you can do What you should be able to...
-
Upload
lyric-winzer -
Category
Documents
-
view
219 -
download
0
Transcript of Soil for Virginia Master Gardeners What you should know What you can do What you should be able to...
Soil for Virginia Master Gardeners
•What you should know•What you can do
•What you should be able to teach
Francis J. Reilly, Jr.
•http://advancedmastergardener.org/•[email protected]
P A G E 3
Shameless Commercial
Have you joined VMGA?
•The Voice of VA Master Gardeners
•Promote fellowship, training & communication
•State Coordinator’s Endowment.
P A G E 4
Outline
• Why Soils
• What are Soils
• Soil testing and fertility
• Practice
• Compost
P A G E 5
Why are Soils Important?
• ?
• ?
• ?
P A G E 6
Why are Soils Important?
• Support Plant growth
• Mediate Climate
• Store water
P A G E 7
Why do we need to know about soils?
• ?
• ?
• ?
P A G E 8
Why do we need to know about soils?
• Its what plants grow in• Troubleshoot plant problems by looking at
soil• Disease – Abiotic Factors• Will water be easily given up to the plant• Are there any Soil Organisms at Work• Does water soak in
• Run off?• Stand on the surface?
P A G E 9
What is Soil?
Ideally:
•25% Air
•25% Water
•45-48% Minerals
•2-5% Organic matter
•Soil organisms
Mineral & Organic Materials that contain living matter and can support vegetation
P A G E 10
Where Does Soil Come from?
• Parent Material• Climate• Time• Relief, Topography• Organisms
– Human Activity– Beavers– Grazers like cows and deer– Worms – Bacteria/fungi
P A G E 11
Appalachian Plateaus Valley and Ridge
Blue Ridge Piedmont Plateau
Coastal Plain
Physiographic Regions
P A G E 12
Physiographic regions and soil types
• Physiographic Regions describe land surface features
• Closely related to geology
• Slope, and soils are related
P A G E 13
Soils Classified
• Soil Survey
• Printed version (1960)– Ask Debbie
where that copy is!
• On-line version
• New version soon (finished 2009) http://soildatamart.nrcs.usda.gov/
Metadata.aspx?Survey=VA107&UseState=VA
P A G E 14
What can the soil survey tell you?
P A G E 15
What can the soil survey tell you?
• Drainage
• Slope
• Topography
• Water features
• Wetlands
• Crop worthiness
• Buildability
P A G E 16
How Do You Use It?
• Use it to plan• Don’t use it to
DO!• Look up spot
on map• See what it
says• Read about
the soil type• SOIL TYPE?
P A G E 17
Soil Type
Soils Classified by:
•Depth of layer
•Color
•Texture
•Structure
P A G E 18
State Soil of Virginia!
P A G E 19
Soil Taxonomy
• Soil Orders
P A G E 20
Depth
Horizon Depth Information
O 0-2” Humus
A 1”-10” Minerals darkened by organics,
zone of max biology
E ? Empty – Paler depleted by water
leaching out of A into B
B 10”-30” Zone of accumulation
C 30”-48” Not really like soil
R Below Parent material
P A G E 21
Color
• Color of parent material
• Other Colors due to pedagenesis
P A G E 22
Soil Texture
P A G E 23
Soil Texture
•Sand are the largest particles and they feel "gritty."
•Silt are medium sized, and they feel soft, silky or "floury."
•Clay are the smallest sized particles, and they feel "sticky" and they are hard to squeeze.
Sand 2.00 - 0.05 mm Silt 0.05 - 0.002 mm Clay < 0.002 mm
P A G E 24
How to Texture
• 1st a pinch
• Then a ribbon
P A G E 25
Soil Structure
Granular Blocky
Prismatic Platy
Columnar Single Grained
Massive
P A G E 26
Soil Structure
P A G E 27
So what about structure?
• Drainage
• Plant penetration
• Oxygen penetration
P A G E 28
Pore Spaces
•The smaller the particles
•The smaller the pore spaces
•Water moves slowly
•Less air present
P A G E 29
How do we improve soils?
• ?
• ?
• ?
P A G E 30
How do we improve soils?
• Drainage
• Moisture
• Fertility
• Soil Health
• Problems
P A G E 31
Pore Spaces can decrease due to compaction
P A G E 32
Soil horizons and water infiltration
•Horizons have different properties
•Some may retard water flow
•Watch out for the “builder’s horizon”
P A G E 33
Check for Yourself
•Dig a hole 12 inches deep and fill it with water
•30 minutes, the soil has a drainage problem
•24 hours, waterlogged soils may impact plant growth
P A G E 34
Soils have moisture characteristics
• Important for runoff
• Important for plants
P A G E 35
Fertility
• Soil Tests
• Kits
• Cheap meters
• Agricultural testing
P A G E 36
How’d we do?
P A G E 37
How’s that stack up?
P A G E 38
Lets look at our soil tests!
P A G E 39
What’s wrong with “none?”
P A G E 40
P Results
Statewide1 in 7 existing lawn samples test low in phosphorus.
P A G E 41
Other stuff
P A G E 42
Lawn Notes
P A G E 43
So now what?
• Calculate the area
• Read the bag
• Do the math
P A G E 44
Calculate the area
• Remember to subtract– The driveway– The house– The sidewalk– The other gardens
• Remember to add– The devil strip
P A G E 45
Lets do another!
P A G E 46
Blue Berries Notes
P A G E 47
So now what?
• Calculate the area
• Read the bag
• Do the math
P A G E 48
Calculate the area
• Remember to subtract– The driveway– The house– The sidewalk– The other gardens
• Remember to add– The devil strip
P A G E 49
Read the bag
• NPK
– Turf type
– Complete
– Calculate the percentages
– WIN
• Organics
– Cottonseed meal, Blood Meal
– Sludge
– Farm applications of sludge or poultry
litter
P A G E 50
Specialty Fertilizers
P A G E 51
Do the math
• Area
• Total pounds N P K needed
• Pounds of fertilizer to use
P A G E 52
Lets do our own!
• Help your neighbor
• Check your math
P A G E 53
Apply the fertilizer
• Methods– Broadcast– Banding– Side-Dressing– Foliar Feeding– Spreader – Calibrate it!!
P A G E 54
pH – Lime
• Lime– Calcitic– dolomitic
• Sulfur
• Wood ash
• Pay attention to what’s growing there!
P A G E 55
pH Results
Statewide 1 in 3 are over limed
P A G E 56
Micronutrients
• Unusual deficiency
• Blossom end rot
• Green sand
• Other snake oils
• Use compost
P A G E 57
Composting = Recycling
P A G E 58
Recycle Yard Waste
• Microorganisms• Moisture• Particle size• Temperature• Oxygen• Carbon / Nitrogen Ratio
Composting Considerations
P A G E 59
Microorganisms
Bacteria
Fungi
Recycle Yard Waste
P A G E 60
Moisture
50% is ideal
Recycle Yard Waste
P A G E 61
Particle SizeRecycle Yard Waste
P A G E 62
Particle Size
Recycle Yard Waste
P A G E 63
Temperature Profile
Cool
Hot
WarmCold Cold
900 to 1400 F
Recycle Yard Waste
P A G E 64
Compost Pile Dimensions
How Small?
Minimum Size3 X 3 X 3
How Big?
Maximum Size5 X 5 X 5
Recycle Yard Waste
P A G E 65
Oxygen
To speed process, turn more frequently
Recycle Yard Waste
P A G E 66
Carbon : Nitrogen Ratio
30:1 is ideal ratio
“Browns” vs. “Greens”
Recycle Yard Waste
P A G E 67
High Carbon Sources•Leaves
•Paper
•Straw
•Sawdust
Recycle Yard Waste
P A G E 68
Materials With High Carbon Value
Fruit Wastes 35:1Leaves 40-80:1Corn Stalks 60:1Straw 80:1Bark 100-130:1Paper 170:1Sawdust 500:1Wood 700:1
Recycle Yard Waste
P A G E 70
High Nitrogen Sources
•Grass Clippings
•Kitchen Scraps
•Manures
Recycle Yard Waste
P A G E 71
Materials With High Nitrogen Value
Food Wastes 15:1Grass Clippings 20:1Cow Manure 20:1Horse Manure 25:1
Recycle Yard Waste
P A G E 72
C:N Ratio – How to Measure?
Start with equal parts by volume
Recycle Yard Waste
P A G E 73
Do Not Compost • Diseased Plants• Plants with Seeds• Meat• Invasive Weeds• Oily Food Scraps• Dog/ Cat Manure
Recycle Yard Waste
P A G E 74
Constructing A Compost Pile
1) Place coarse materials in bottom of pile
2) Add 4” to 6” layer of leaves
3) Add high nitrogen source ( grass clippings or manure)
4) Water the pile after each layer
5) Continue steps 2, 3 & 4 until bin is full
P A G E 75
A new compost pile will be built in the center unit of a three-
pallet bin system.
Recycle Yard Waste
P A G E 76
The first step is to add a bed of twigs and small branches to
promote air circulation.
Recycle Yard Waste
P A G E 77
A layer of “browns” is added. Watering between layers ensures that
moisture is evenly distributed.
Recycle Yard Waste
P A G E 78
Next, a layer of fresh “greens” is added.
Recycle Yard Waste
P A G E 79
Add and water another layer of browns.
Recycle Yard Waste
P A G E 80
Fresh greens come from flower pruning.
Recycle Yard Waste
P A G E 81
The browns spent the fall and winter in the adjacent bin.
Recycle Yard Waste
P A G E 82
The next layer of greens is also from prunings.
Recycle Yard Waste
P A G E 83
A fourth layer of browns is added. The layering process will resume when
more greens are available.
Recycle Yard Waste
P A G E 84
Finished compost can be improved by sifting through a screen to
remove oversized pieces.
Recycle Yard Waste
P A G E 85
An inclined screen uses gravity for some of the sifting effort.
Recycle Yard Waste
P A G E 86
The screen is loaded with compost.
Recycle Yard Waste
P A G E 87
Use a square shovel to scrape the compost against screen.
Recycle Yard Waste
P A G E 88
The screen is removed to reveal the sifted compost. The rejects will be
added to a fresh pile.
Recycle Yard Waste
P A G E 89
Choice in Composting Bins
• Home made– Snow Fencing, Pallets,Wire, Wood
Slats, Concrete Blocks, Etc.• Store Bought
– Metal and Plastic Bins and Drums
Recycle Yard Waste
P A G E 90
Wire Bin
Eleven-foot length of 2” x 4” x 36” welded, medium-gauge fence wire.
Recycle Yard Waste
P A G E 91
Wooden Pallet Bin
Recycle Yard Waste
P A G E 92
Wooden Pallet Three BinRecycle Yard Waste
P A G E 93
Fasten Pallets With Old Coat Hangers
Recycle Yard Waste
P A G E 94
Wooden Pallets & Snow Fencing Recycle Yard Waste
P A G E 95
Purchased Bins
Recycle Yard Waste
P A G E 96
Compost Trouble Shooting
Symptom Problem Solution
Compost has a bad odor
Too much nitrogen or not enough air
Add high carbon material and turn pile
Center of pile is dry Not enough water Moisten and turn pile
Pile is damp and warm only in middle
Pile is too small Collect more material and mix into a new pile
Pile is damp but will still not heat up
Lack of nitrogen Mix in nitrogen source like grass clippings
P A G E 97
Uses of Compost
• Soil Amendment• Potting Mix• Lawn Establishment/renovation• Mulch
Recycle Yard Waste
P A G E 98
Benefits of Using Compost • Improves water-holding capacity of soil
• Improves soil structure
• Prevents soil crusting aiding seedling emergence
• Provides a food source for soil organisms
• Increases the fertilizer-holding ability of soil
Recycle Yard Waste
COMPOST HAPPENS!
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Minimize Waste to Minimize Work
Questions?www.AdvancedMasterGardener.org