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Soil Properties

Soil Properties. 23.00-Explain the properties of soils and their relationship to plant growth. 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

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Soil Properties

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  1. Soil Properties 23.00-Explain the properties of soils and their relationship to plant growth.

  2. Soils and growing media • Soils and growing media are made up of two types of materials • Organic matter • Inorganic compounds

  3. Organic Matter • Dead plant or animal tissue • contains carbon • usually has diseases or insects

  4. 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

  5. Composting

  6. 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

  7. Inorganic compounds • Do not contain carbon • usually sterile

  8. 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

  9. Vermiculite

  10. Perlite

  11. pH • Measurement of acidity or alkalinity from 0 to 14 • Acid-less than 7.0 • Alkaline-more than 7.0 • Most organic matter is acid • Most artificial media is neutral • Ideal pH for most ornamental plants and lawn or turf grasses is 5.5 to 7.0

  12. Hydroponics • The process of growing plants without soil

  13. Types of hydroponics • Aggregate culture • using sand or gravel to support plant roots • Water culture, solution culture, or nutriculture • plant roots grow in water containing dissolved nutrients

  14. Types of hydroponics • Aeroponics • plant roots hang in air and are misted regularly with a nutrient solution • Continuous-flow system • nutrient solution flows constantly over plant roots • most commonly used for commercial production

  15. Hydroponics at Epcot

  16. Advantages of hydroponics • No soil and problems associated with soil • Easy to control nutrient content of plants

  17. Disadvantages of hydroponics • Plant support must be provided with strings, wires or stakes • Water quality must be high • Diseases spread through water • More moisture or humidity in air to cause favorable environment for disease organisms • More expensive

  18. What is the physical make up of soil?

  19. 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

  20. Soil Profile A Horizon B Horizon C Horizon

  21. Soil Profile

  22. Soil Structure • How particles cluster together • single grain • granular (best for most plants) • blocky • platy • massive

  23. Soil Structure Single Grain

  24. Soil Structure Granular

  25. Soil Structure Blocky

  26. Soil Structure Platy

  27. Soil Structure Massive

  28. 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

  29. Soil Texture • Size of particles • Types of textures • clayey • loamy • sandy

  30. Clayey Texture • Small particles • Has a high water-holding capacity • most common texture in western NC

  31. Loamy texture • About equal parts of sand, clay and silt • Ideal texture for most non-container outside plants

  32. Sandy texture • Large particles • Low moisture-holding capacity • Most common in eastern NC

  33. Soil Makeup Water

  34. FFA Land Judging CDE

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