Transcript Soil for Virginia Master Gardeners

Soil for Virginia Master Gardeners
•What you should know
•What you can do
•What you should be able to teach
Francis J. Reilly, Jr.
•http://advancedmastergardener.org/
•[email protected]
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PAGE 3
Outline
• Why Soils
• What are Soils
• Soil testing and fertility
• Practice
• Compost
PAGE 4
Why are Soils Important?
• ?
• ?
• ?
PAGE 5
Why are Soils Important?
• Support Plant growth
• Mediate Climate
• Store water
PAGE 6
Why do we need to know about soils?
• ?
• ?
• ?
PAGE 7
Why do we need to know about soils?
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Its what plants grow in
Troubleshoot plant problems by looking at soil
Disease – Abiotic Factors
Will water be easily given up to the plant
Are there any Soil Organisms at Work
Does water soak in
• Run off?
• Stand on the surface?
PAGE 8
What is Soil?
Ideally:
•25% Air
•25% Water
•45-48% Minerals
•2-5% Organic matter
•Soil organisms
Mineral & Organic Materials that contain living matter and can
support vegetation
PAGE 9
Where Does Soil Come from?
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Parent Material
Climate
Time
Relief, Topography
Organisms
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Human Activity
Beavers
Grazers like cows and deer
Worms
Bacteria/fungi
P A G E 10
Physiographic Regions
Appalachian Plateaus
Valley and Ridge
Blue Ridge
Piedmont Plateau
Coastal Plain
P A G E 11
Physiographic regions and soil types
• Physiographic Regions describe land surface
features
• Closely related to geology
• Slope, and soils are related
P A G E 12
Soils Classified
• Soil Survey
• Printed version
(1960)
– Ask Debbie
where that
copy is!
• On-line version
• New version
soon (finished
2009)
http://soildatamart.nrcs.usda.gov/Metadata.asp
x?Survey=VA107&UseState=VA
P A G E 13
What can the soil survey tell you?
P A G E 14
What can the soil survey tell you?
• Drainage
• Slope
• Topography
• Water
features
• Wetlands
• Crop
worthiness
• Buildability
P A G E 15
How Do You Use It?
• Use it to plan
• Don’t use it to
DO!
• Look up spot
on map
• See what it
says
• Read about
the soil type
• SOIL TYPE?
P A G E 16
Soil Type
Soils Classified by:
•Depth of layer
•Color
•Texture
•Structure
P A G E 17
State Soil of Virginia!
P A G E 18
Soil Taxonomy
• Soil Orders
P A G E 19
Depth
Horizon
Depth
Information
O
0-2”
Humus
A
1”-10”
Minerals darkened by organics,
zone of max biology
E
?
Empty – Paler depleted by water
leaching out of A into B
B
10”-30”
Zone of accumulation
C
30”-48”
Not really like soil
R
Below
Parent material
P A G E 20
Color
• Color of
parent
material
• Other Colors
due to
pedagenesis
P A G E 21
Soil Texture
P A G E 22
Soil Texture
•Sand are the largest particles and they feel "gritty."
•Silt are medium sized, and they feel soft, silky or "floury."
•Clay are the smallest sized particles, and they feel "sticky" and
they are hard to squeeze.
Sand 2.00 - 0.05 mm
Silt 0.05 - 0.002 mm
Clay < 0.002 mm
P A G E 23
How to Texture
• 1st a pinch
• Then a ribbon
P A G E 24
Soil Structure
Granular
Blocky
Prismatic
Platy
Columnar
Single
Grained
Massive
P A G E 25
Soil Structure
P A G E 26
So what about structure?
• Drainage
• Plant penetration
• Oxygen
penetration
P A G E 27
Pore Spaces
•The smaller the
particles
•The smaller the pore
spaces
•Water moves slowly
•Less air present
P A G E 28
How do we improve soils?
• ?
• ?
• ?
P A G E 29
How do we improve soils?
• Drainage
• Moisture
• Fertility
• Soil
Health
• Problems
P A G E 30
Pore Spaces can decrease due to
compaction
P A G E 31
Soil horizons and water infiltration
•Horizons have different
properties
•Some may retard water
flow
•Watch out for the
“builder’s horizon”
P A G E 32
Check for Yourself
•Dig a hole 12 inches
deep and fill it with water
•30 minutes, the soil has a
drainage problem
•24 hours, waterlogged
soils may impact plant
growth
P A G E 33
Soils have moisture characteristics
• Important for runoff
• Important for plants
P A G E 34
Fertility
• Soil Tests
• Kits
• Cheap meters
• Agricultural testing
P A G E 35
Lets look at our soil tests!
P A G E 36
So now what?
• Calculate the area
• Read the bag
• Do the math
P A G E 37
Lets do another!
P A G E 38
So now what?
• Calculate the area
• Read the bag
• Do the math
P A G E 39
Calculate the area
• Remember to subtract
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The driveway
The house
The sidewalk
The other gardens
• Remember to add
– The devil strip
P A G E 40
Read the bag
• NPK
– Turf type
– Complete
– Calculate the percentages
– WIN
• Organics
– Cottonseed meal, Blood
Meal
– Sludge
– Farm applications of
sludge or poultry litter
P A G E 41
Specialty Fertilizers
P A G E 42
Do the math
• Area
• Total pounds N P K needed
• Pounds of fertilizer to use
P A G E 43
Lets do our own!
• Help your neighbor
• Check your math
P A G E 44
Apply the fertilizer
• Methods
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Broadcast
Banding
Side-Dressing
Foliar Feeding
Spreader – Calibrate it!!
P A G E 45
pH – Lime
• Lime
– Calcitic
– dolomitic
• Sulfur
• Wood ash
• Pay
attention to
what’s
growing
there!
P A G E 46
Micronutrients
• Unusual deficiency
• Blossom end rot
• Green sand
• Other snake oils
• Use compost
P A G E 47
Composting = Recycling
P A G E 48
Recycle Yard Waste
Composting Considerations
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Microorganisms
Moisture
Particle size
Temperature
Oxygen
Carbon / Nitrogen Ratio
P A G E 49
Recycle Yard Waste
Microorganisms
Bacteria
Fungi
P A G E 50
Recycle Yard Waste
Moisture
50% is ideal
P A G E 51
Recycle Yard Waste
Particle Size
P A G E 52
Recycle Yard Waste
Particle Size
P A G E 53
Recycle Yard Waste
Temperature Profile
900 to 1400 F
Cool
Hot
Cold
Warm
Cold
P A G E 54
Recycle Yard Waste
Compost Pile Dimensions
How Small?
How Big?
Minimum Size
3 X 3 X 3
Maximum Size
5 X 5 X 5
P A G E 55
Recycle Yard Waste
Oxygen
To speed
process, turn
more
frequently
P A G E 56
Recycle Yard Waste
Carbon : Nitrogen Ratio
“Browns” vs. “Greens”
30:1 is ideal ratio
P A G E 57
Recycle Yard Waste
High Carbon Sources
•Leaves
•Straw
•Paper
•Sawdust
P A G E 58
Recycle Yard Waste
Materials With High Carbon Value
Fruit Wastes
Leaves
Corn Stalks
Straw
Bark
Paper
Sawdust
Wood
35:1
40-80:1
60:1
80:1
100-130:1
170:1
500:1
700:1
P A G E 59
Recycle Yard Waste
High Nitrogen Sources
•Grass Clippings
•Kitchen Scraps
•Manures
P A G E 61
Recycle Yard Waste
Materials With High Nitrogen Value
Food Wastes
Grass Clippings
Cow Manure
Horse Manure
15:1
20:1
20:1
25:1
P A G E 62
Recycle Yard Waste
C:N Ratio – How to Measure?
Start with equal parts
by volume
P A G E 63
Recycle Yard Waste
Do Not Compost
• Diseased Plants
• Plants with Seeds
• Meat
• Invasive Weeds
• Oily Food Scraps
• Dog/ Cat Manure
P A G E 64
Constructing A Compost Pile
1) Place coarse materials in bottom of pile
2) Add 4” to 6” layer of leaves
3) Add high nitrogen source ( grass clippings
or manure)
4) Water the pile after each layer
5) Continue steps 2, 3 & 4 until bin is full
P A G E 65
Recycle Yard Waste
A new compost pile will be built in the center unit of a threepallet bin system.
P A G E 66
Recycle Yard Waste
The first step is to add a bed of twigs and small branches to
promote air circulation.
P A G E 67
Recycle Yard Waste
A layer of “browns” is added. Watering between layers ensures that
moisture is evenly distributed.
P A G E 68
Recycle Yard Waste
Next, a layer of fresh “greens” is added.
P A G E 69
Recycle Yard Waste
Add and water another layer of browns.
P A G E 70
Recycle Yard Waste
Fresh greens come from flower pruning.
P A G E 71
Recycle Yard Waste
The browns spent the fall and winter in the adjacent bin.
P A G E 72
Recycle Yard Waste
The next layer of greens is also from prunings.
P A G E 73
Recycle Yard Waste
A fourth layer of browns is added. The layering process will resume when more
greens are available.
P A G E 74
Recycle Yard Waste
Finished compost can be improved by sifting through a screen to
remove oversized pieces.
P A G E 75
Recycle Yard Waste
An inclined screen uses gravity for some of the sifting effort.
P A G E 76
Recycle Yard Waste
The screen is loaded with compost.
P A G E 77
Recycle Yard Waste
Use a square shovel to scrape the compost against screen.
P A G E 78
Recycle Yard Waste
The screen is removed to reveal the sifted compost. The rejects will be
added to a fresh pile.
P A G E 79
Recycle Yard Waste
Choice in Composting Bins
• Home made
– Snow Fencing, Pallets,Wire, Wood
Slats, Concrete Blocks, Etc.
• Store Bought
– Metal and Plastic Bins and Drums
P A G E 80
Recycle Yard Waste
Wire Bin
Eleven-foot
length of 2” x 4”
x 36” welded,
medium-gauge
fence wire.
P A G E 81
Recycle Yard Waste
Wooden Pallet Bin
P A G E 82
Recycle Yard Waste
Wooden Pallet Three Bin
P A G E 83
Recycle Yard Waste
Fasten Pallets With Old Coat Hangers
P A G E 84
Recycle Yard Waste
Wooden Pallets & Snow Fencing
P A G E 85
Recycle Yard Waste
Purchased Bins
P A G E 86
Compost Trouble Shooting
Symptom
Compost has a
bad odor
Problem
Too much nitrogen
or not enough air
Center of pile is dry Not enough water
Pile is damp and
Pile is too small
warm only in
middle
Pile is damp but
Lack of nitrogen
will still not heat up
Solution
Add high carbon
material and turn
pile
Moisten and turn
pile
Collect more
material and mix
into a new pile
Mix in nitrogen
source like grass
clippings P A G E 87
Recycle Yard Waste
Uses of Compost
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Soil Amendment
Potting Mix
Lawn Establishment/renovation
Mulch
P A G E 88
Recycle Yard Waste
Benefits of Using Compost
• Improves water-holding capacity of soil
• Improves soil structure
• Prevents soil crusting aiding seedling
emergence
• Provides a food source for soil organisms
• Increases the fertilizer-holding ability of
soil
P A G E 89
COMPOST HAPPENS!
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Minimize Waste to
Minimize Work
Questions?
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