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Soil Properties

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.

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Soil Properties

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  1. Soil Properties Essential Standard 5.00- Explain the role of nutrients and fertilizers.

  2. Objective 5.01 • Discuss Horticulture soils

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

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

  5. 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

  6. Composting

  7. 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

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

  9. 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

  10. Vermiculite

  11. Perlite

  12. Advantages of horticultural soils • Sterile. • pH is neutral. • Disease and weed free. • It is good for starting disease sensitive seeds • Tomato • It is easy to control the nutrient content • Improves crop uniformity. • It is easy to create a horticulture soil for particular plant needs.

  13. Disadvantages • Expensive • It is light weight

  14. Carbon : Nitrogen • Materials with a high carbon to nitrogen ratio • Sawdust • Wood shavings • Makes nitrogen unavailable for plant use

  15. Soil Profiles and Sampling

  16. Objective 5.02 • Discuss the soil profile and soil sampling for surface and subsurface layers

  17. What is the physical make up of soil?

  18. 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

  19. Soil Profile A Horizon B Horizon C Horizon

  20. Soil Profile

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

  22. Soil Structure Single Grain

  23. Soil Structure Granular

  24. Soil Structure Blocky

  25. Soil Structure Platy

  26. Soil Structure Massive

  27. 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

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

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

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

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

  32. 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

  33. 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

  34. 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

  35. Soil Makeup Water

  36. Soil Sampling • Soil sampling and testing is essential for an accurate fertilizer recommendation for growing plants.

  37. Soil Sampling Procedures • Create a visual grid of the area to be planted. • For gardens and landscapes, take 5-10 sub-samples • Sample before the growing season. • Use a stainless steel soil-sampling probe. • Take the surface sample to tillage depth • about 4inches for lawns • 6-8 inches for crops • Mix the soil samples together.

  38. Soil Sampling Procedures • Remove any grass, rocks or other material besides soil. • Avoid unusual spots • Problem areas need to be sent in a separate box. • Place soil samples in a box • Obtain from the County Extension Office along with Soil Sample Information sheet • Send the box and information to: • Agronomic Division Soil Test Lab in Raleigh for a free soil test.

  39. FFA Land Judging CDE

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