Soil Properties Essential Standard 5.00- Explain the role of nutrients and fertilizers.
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Transcript of Soil Properties Essential Standard 5.00- Explain the role of nutrients and fertilizers.
Soil Properties
Essential Standard 5.00- Explain the role of nutrients and fertilizers.
Objective 5.01
• Discuss Horticulture soils
Soils and growing media
• Soils and growing media are made up of two types of materials– Organic matter– Inorganic compounds
Organic Matter
• Dead plant or animal tissue• contains carbon• usually has diseases or insects
Types of organic matter
• Compost• bark-particles too large to use in
seed germination media• mulch-used to cover soil to help
hold moisture and prevent weeds• straw• peat moss
Composting
Types of Organic Matter
• Sphagnum• Sawdust-high carbon to nitrogen
ratio makes nitrogen unavailable for plant use
• Wood shavings- high carbon to nitrogen ratio makes nitrogen unavailable for plant use
Inorganic compounds
• Do not contain carbon• usually sterile
Types of inorganic compounds
• Soilless media-artificial soil• Vermiculite-mica mineral matter
used to start seeds and cuttings, helps hold moisture, has neutral pH
• Perlite-natural volcanic material that helps aeration and water-holding capacity
Vermiculite
Perlite
Advantages of horticultural soils
1. Sterile.2. pH is neutral.3. Disease and weed free.4. It is good for starting disease sensitive
seeds• Tomato
5. It is easy to control the nutrient content 6. Improves crop uniformity.7. It is easy to create a horticulture soil for
particular plant needs.
Disadvantages
1. Expensive
2. It is light weight
Carbon : Nitrogen
• Materials with a high carbon to nitrogen ratio– Sawdust– Wood shavings
• Makes nitrogen unavailable for plant use
Soil Profiles and Sampling
Objective 5.02
• Discuss the soil profile and soil sampling for surface and subsurface layers
What is the physical make up of soil?
Soil Profile
• Layers of soil are called horizons• Typical profile
– A Horizon-topsoil• most fertile• most organic matter• top or first layer
– B Horizon-subsoil– C Horizon-bedrock
Soil Profile
A Horizon
B Horizon
C Horizon
Soil Profile
Soil Structure
• How particles cluster together– single grain– granular (best for most plants)– blocky– platy– massive
Soil Structure
Single Grain
Soil Structure
Granular
Soil Structure
Blocky
Soil Structure
Platy
Soil Structure
Massive
Soil Structure
• Soil structure is more important to producers who grow plants in natural soils
• Producers of container grown plants add ingredients to make growing media desirable
Soil Texture
• Size of particles• Types of textures
– clayey– loamy– sandy
Clayey Texture
• Small particles• Has a high water-holding capacity• most common texture in western
NC
Loamy texture
• About equal parts of sand, clay and silt
• Ideal texture for most non-container outside plants
Sandy texture
• Large particles• Low moisture-holding capacity• Most common in eastern NC
Soil pH• Measurement of acidity or
alkalinity from 0 to 14– Acid-less than 0-6.9– Alkaline-more than 8-14
• Most organic matter is acid• Most artificial media is neutral• Ideal pH for most gardens is 5.5 to
7.0
Physical Properties of Soils
• Permeability– rate at which water moves through
the soil• Water holding capacity
– ability of a soil to hold water for plant use
• Porosity– amount of air space between soil
particles
Physical Properties of Soils
• 50% of soil should be pore space– 25% water space– 25% air space.
• 50% of soil should be soil particles – 45% mineral matter– 5% organic matter
Soil Makeup
Solid particles
Pore Space
Water
Soil Sampling
• Soil sampling and testing is essential for an accurate fertilizer recommendation for growing plants.
Soil Sampling Procedures
1. Create a visual grid of the area to be planted.• For gardens and landscapes, take 5-10 sub-samples • Sample before the growing season.
2. Use a stainless steel soil-sampling probe.3. Take the surface sample to tillage depth
1. about 4inches for lawns2. 6-8 inches for crops
4. Mix the soil samples together.
Soil Sampling Procedures
5. Remove any grass, rocks or other material besides soil.
6. Avoid unusual spots • Problem areas need to be sent in a separate
box.7. Place soil samples in a box
• Obtain from the County Extension Office along with Soil Sample Information sheet
8. Send the box and information to:• Agronomic Division Soil Test Lab in Raleigh
for a free soil test.
FFA Land Judging CDE