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Soil health and nutrition

Soil health and nutrition. Emma Maxwell. Soils. Soil Texture Soil Structure pH Testing Soil improvements Cultivation. What is soil?. Know your soil. Soil Texture How does it feel? Particle sizes Organic content. pH Simple test Know what plants suit your soil.

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Soil health and nutrition

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  1. Soil health and nutrition Emma Maxwell

  2. Soils • Soil Texture • Soil Structure • pH Testing • Soil improvements • Cultivation

  3. What is soil?

  4. Know your soil • Soil Texture • How does it feel? • Particle sizes • Organic content • pH • Simple test • Know what plants suit your soil

  5. Lets look at our soil samples

  6. Soil Texture

  7. Sandy • Advantages • Dries out quickly • work at anytime of year • Large particle • Large air gaps • Disadvantages • Poor soil • Water and nutrients drain away too quickly • Susceptible to erosion

  8. Advantages Fertile soil Good water retention Disadvantages Poor drainage Susceptible to compaction Heavy to work Slow to warm in spring Dries to hard clods in summer Clay • Very small particle • Very small air gaps

  9. Soil Improvement • Sandy soils • Add organic matter • Well rotted farm yard manure • Compost • Clay soils • Add organic matter • Add grit or sand • Lime

  10. Mix of particle sizes & organic mater Ideal for growing plants Fine crumbly texture Retains water well Contains a good balance of nutrients Loam

  11. What is organic matter?Anything once alive High nutrient • Garden compost • FYM • Chicken manure Low nutrient • Bark chippings • Straw • Leaf mould

  12. Organic matter • Increases micro fauna • Improves soil texture • Retains moisture • Releases excess water • Holds onto nutrients

  13. Soil Structure Structure relates to how the soil particles are aggregated into crumbs. • Top soil • Rich in organic matter • Full of living micro organisms & worms • Sub soil • Less organic matter • Closer to mineral origins

  14. Cultivation Digging • Breaks up clods & compacted soil • Aerates the soil • Weeds are buried or removed • Brings stones to surface No Digging • Do not walk on the soil • Does not bring weed seeds to surface • Doesn’t interfere with soil structure

  15. Double digging

  16. Ploughing

  17. Disc, Tine & Chain harrow

  18. pH Test

  19. pH • pH7 = Neutral • Lower than 7 = Acidic • Higher than 7 = Alkaline

  20. Making your own compost • Aerobic decomposition • Living organisms • Bacteria, fungi and algae • Temp of 60oC • Temp drops when softer material consumed • Larger decomposers move in • Worms, beetles and centipedes

  21. Compost bin Many shapes and sizes • Keeps heap contained • Keep out bulk of the rain • Prevent heap drying out • Retains heat

  22. Ingredients • Anything that has lived • Carbon : Nitrogen • Carbon • Fibre • Woody stems – Shred if necessary • sawdust • Paper / cardboard • Nitrogen • Green material • Grass mowings • Comfrey/ nettles

  23. Making compost • Nitrogen /greens • Carbon / browns • Grass • Green leaves • Sheep's wool • Manure • Urine • Nettle tops • Wood • Brown leaves • Cardboard • Sawdust • paper

  24. Hot and Cold heaps Hot • Add all the material at the same time • Turn three times • Kills weed seeds and disease • Takes 4 – 6 months Cold • Little and often • No need to turn • Take about a year

  25. Good compost • Not too wet or too dry • Keep good mix • Turn to aerate • Press down if to big gaps • Ideally fill in one go • Ready to use when materials are unrecognisable

  26. Materials to avoid • Weed seeds • Perennial weeds • Diseased material • Dog and cat manure • Autumn leaves • Hedge clippings • Woody prunings

  27. Site • Warm • Sunny • Sheltered • Plenty of space • On bare ground

  28. Mulches • Protect from losses • Moisture & Soil • Reduces • Annual weeds & Some pests • Can add nutrients • Can look attractive • Keeps plants cool in summer • Keeps plant warm in winter • Organic material • Man made

  29. When to mulch • Any time • except when frozen or too dry • Low nutrient best done Oct – March • High nutrient in the growing season

  30. Minimum dig

  31. Green Manures

  32. What can they do? Plant grown for the benefit of the soil • Fix nitrogen • Nutrient accumulators • Ground cover • Protect against losses • Protect soil structure • Confusing pests • Bulky organic matter

  33. When to use them • Empty beds • On soil waiting planting • Resting soil • Poor soil with low fertility • Soil with poor structure • Between widely spaced plants

  34. Chose the right green manure • How long • Season • Rotation • Follow on crop

  35. Fix nitrogen Legumes • tares, clovers, alfalfa, lupins • Nitrogen available to next crop • N available to companion crops

  36. Nutrient accumulators • Deep rotted • Lupin • Alfafa

  37. Ground cover • Plant whenever there is bare soil • Reduces weeding • Reduces losses • Water • Nutrients • Confuses pests

  38. Pests control • Green cover • Cabbages • Habitat for predators • Frogs, beetles • Flowering Phacelia • Flying predators

  39. Phacelia • May over winter • Attracts insects

  40. Alfalfa • Deep rooted • Cut as mulch • Avoid acid and wet soil

  41. Tares • March – may • July – Sept • Avoid acid and dry soil

  42. Mustard • Quick • Needs fertile moist soil • Inhibits seed germination

  43. Buckwheat • Fast growing • Attracts insects

  44. Fertilisers Major Nutrients Minor Nutrients • Nitrogen (N) • Phosphorus (P) • Potassium (K) • Magnesium (Mg) • Calcium (Ca) • Sulphur (S) • (Trace elements) • Iron • Manganese • Copper • Zinc • Boron • molybdenum

  45. NPK

  46. Nitrogen (N) • Needed for leaf growth • Too much = sappy soft growth prone to p&D • Easily leached from the soil • So only apply will plants in active growth • Released from organic matter

  47. Phosphorous (P) • Root Growth • Important for new planting • Associated with fruit ripening • In base soil – test to see if deficient

  48. Potassium (K) • Flowers and Fruit • Needed for hardening off plants • Can be deficient if soil lacks in organic matter • Wood ash

  49. Calcium • Needed for cell function and growth • Often deficient in dry soils • Apply lime or egg shells

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