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

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Presentation on theme: "Soil Properties Essential Standard 5.00- Explain the role of nutrients and fertilizers."— Presentation transcript:

1 Soil Properties Essential Standard 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
O, A, B, C and R Horizons All soil profiles do not have the same number of levels or horizons NC has a minimum of A, B and C or R horizons.

19 O Horizon Rich soil found where a plant cover has been in place for an extended time Rich organic matter Dark in color Most fertile layer

20 A Horizon topsoil and most fertile if there is no O Horizon
Lies just below O Horizon Home to earthworms and soil organisms Brown in color due to the organic matter in the soil

21 B Horizon Subsoil Clayey soil that has high mineral content
Usually brown or reddish in color due to large amounts of clay

22 C Horizon and R Horizon C Horizon R Horizon Parent material
Consists mainly of clumps of un-weathered rocks R Horizon Bed rock Cannot be dug by hand and very few roots can penetrate the bedrock

23 Soil Profile A Horizon B Horizon C Horizon

24 Soil Profile

25 Soil Structure How particles cluster together
single loose grains (sandy) granular (silty soil; best for most plants because water is able to move as needed) Blocky or platy (clay soils)

26 Soil Structure Single Grain

27 Soil Structure Granular

28 Soil Structure Blocky

29 Soil Structure Platy

30 Soil Structure Massive

31 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

32 Soil Texture Size of particles Types of textures clayey loamy sandy
silty

33 Clayey Texture Smallest sized particles
Has a high water and nutrient holding capacity most common texture in western NC

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

35 Sandy texture Largest particles Low moisture-holding capacity
Most common in eastern NC

36 Silty Medium sized particles
Has good moisture and nutrient holding capacity

37 Soil pH Measurement of acidity or alkalinity (base) from 0 to 14
Acid-less than 0-6.9 Neutral - 7 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 Can use lime to raise pH, use calcium or sulfur to lower pH

38 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

39 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

40 Soil Makeup Water

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

42 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.

43 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.

44 FFA Land Judging CDE


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