Вы находитесь на странице: 1из 71

Soil

Objective 5.02
Soil: unconsolidated mineral or
organic material on the surface of the
earth that serves as a natural medium for
Dirt is soil that is out of place it is soil
that has lost the characteristics that give it
the ability
Soil performs many critical functions in almost any
ecosystem
(farm, forest, prairie, marsh, or suburban watershed).
1. Soils serve as media for
growth of all kinds of
plants.
2. Soils modify the
atmosphere by emitting
and absorbing gases
(carbon dioxide, methane,
water vapor) and dust.
3. Soils provide habitat
for animals and
organisms that live in the
soil. That accounts for
most of the living things
on Earth.
4. Soils absorb, hold,
release, alter, and
purify most of the
water in terrestrial
5. Soils process recycled nutrients,
including carbon, so that living things can
use them over and over again.
6. Soils serve as engineering media for
construction of foundations, roadbeds, dams
and buildings, and preserve or destroy
artifacts of human endeavors.
7. Soils act as a living filter to
clean water before it moves into
an aquifer.
Soil
Soils differ from one part of the world to
another. They differ because of where and
how they formed.
Five major factors interact to create
1. ClimateTemperature and
moisture influence the speed of
chemical reactions, which in turn help
control how fast rocks weather and
dead organisms decompose. Soils
develop faster in warm, moist climates
and slowest in cold or arid ones.
2. OrganismsPlants root,
animals burrow, and bacteria eat
these and other organisms
speed up the breakdown of large
soil particles into smaller ones.
For instance, roots produce
carbon dioxide that mixes
with water and forms an acid that
wears away rock.
3. Relief (landscape)The shape of the
land and the direction it faces make a
difference in how much sunlight the soils
gets and how much water it keeps. Deeper
soils form at the bottom of a hill because
gravity and water move soil particles down
4. Parent materialEvery soil inherits
traits from the parent material from which it formed.
For example, soils that form from limestone are rich
in calcium and soils that form from materials at the
bottom of lakes are high in clay.
5. TimeAll of
these factors work
together over
time. Older soils
differ from
younger soils
because they
have had longer to
develop.
Soil
Texture
The particles that make up soil are
categorized into 3 groups by size:

Sand 2.0 to 0.05 mm


Silt 0.05 to 0.002 mm
Clay less than 0.002 mm

Most soils are a combination of the


There are 12 soil
textural classes
represented on
the soil texture
triangle. Each
texture
corresponds to
specific
percentages of
sand, silt, or clay.
Soil Structure
Soil Structure is the arrangement of soil
particles into small clumps, called peds or
granula
r

columnar
blocky
platy

massive single-grained
Soil Color
Soil color is influenced primarily by soil
mineralogy telling us what is in a specific soil.
Soils high in iron are
deep orange-brown to yellowish-brown. Those soils
Soil Profile
There are
different types of
soil, each with its
own set of
characteristics.
Put the horizons
together, and
they form a soil
profile.
O (humus or
organic)

Mostly organic
matter such as
decomposing
leaves.
The O horizon is
thin in some soils,
thick in others, and
not present at all in
A - (topsoil)

Mostly minerals
from parent
material with
organic matter
incorporated.
A good material for
plants and other
organisms to live.
E (eluviated)

Leached of clay,
minerals, and organic
matter, leaving a
concentration of sand
and silt particles of
quartz or other
resistant materials
Missing in some soils
but often found in
older soils and forest
B (subsoil)

Rich in minerals
that leached
(moved down) from
the A or E horizons
and accumulated
here.
C (parent material)

The deposit at
Earths surface
from which the soil
developed.
R (bedrock)

A mass of rock such


as granite, basalt,
quartzite, limestone or
sandstone that forms
the parent material
for some soils.
This is not soil and is
located under the C
horizon.
Soil pH
Soil pH: a measure of the acidity
or alkalinity of soils
Soil pH ranges from
0-14
Low pH: 0-6.9 (acidic)
Neutral pH: 7
Lime will raise the pH value in
soils
(make it less acidic)
Calcium or Sulfur
will lower the pH value in soils
(make it more acidic)
Soil pH

Measure of the acidity or alkalinity of the soil.


The pH scale ranges of 0-14.

neutral

acidic alkaline
0 7 1
4

Add LIME to raise pH Add SULFUR or ALUMINUM


(Calcium) SULFATE to lower pH
Ideal pH for a vegetable
garden:
5.5-7.0
Physical Soil
Properties
Permeability: rate at
which water moves through the
Water holding
capacity:
the ability of a soil to hold
water for plant use
Porosity:
the amount of air space
between soil particles
Ideal soil conditions:
50% pores:
25 water/25 air
50% soils:
45 mineral matter/5 organic matter
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.
Soil sampling
procedures
2. Use a stainless steel soil-
sampling probe
Soil sampling
procedures
3. Take the surface sample to
tillage depth
(3-4 for lawns and 6-8 for crops)
Soil sampling
procedures
4. Mix the soil samples
together in a clean bucket and
remove any grass or rocks.
Soil sampling
procedures
5. Avoid unusual spots in the
lawn or field. Those areas
need to be sent in a separate
Soil sampling
procedures
6. Place soil samples in a box
(County Extension Office)
along with Soil Sample
Soil sampling
procedures
7. Send the box and
information to Agronomic
Division Soil Test Lab in
Horticultural Soils
Objective 5.01
Peat Moss
Organic and has slightly acidic
pH
Partially decomposed material
from the swamps
Has good moisture holding
properties
Vermiculite
Inorganic material
Neutral pH
Commonly used to start seed &
cuttings
Holds moisture
Perlite
Inorganic with slightly
alkaline pH
Natural volcanic
material
Organic Matter
Dead plant or animal
tissue
Organic matter
contains carbon
Compost
Decayed organic
matter
Used for soil
conditioning and
Bark
Organic & has slightly acidic
pH
Promotes drainage
Usually makes the mix
heavier
Widely used in tree and
Sphagnum
Moss
Very acidic organic
material
Dehydrated remains of
acid bog plants
Advantages of horticultural
soils:
1. Soil is sterile
2. pH is neutral
3. Disease and weed free
4. Good for starting disease sensitive
seeds
5. Easy to control the nutrient content
of the soil
Disadvantages of
horticultural soils:
It is expensive
It is lightweight
Other materials:
Sawdust
Has a high carbon to
nitrogen ratio.
It makes N unavailable for
plant use.
Wood Shavings
Has a high carbon to
nitrogen ratio.
Makes nitrogen
unavailable for plant
use
Organic materials
must be well rotted or
decomposed to avoid
problems with
nitrogen tie-up.

Вам также может понравиться