Soil Topic 2052 Anna Blight

What is soil? Soil is the product of the rocks from which it was derived after weathering The top layer of the earth’s crust Renewable natural resource that supports life

What does soil do? Storehouse for nutrients Allows for aeration Holds water Anchors the plant

Rhizoshpere 24” of soil just below the earth’s surface Living micro-organisms interact with plant life Urban trees have 80% of their roots in the top 12” of soil What happens to soil at this level is important for plant health

Soil Quality Plants need suitable biotic habitat for beneficial micro-organisms to live Inhibit degradation by - not allowing compaction from heavy equipment - protect soil from run-off or flooding Add organic matter to improve quality

Mycorrhizae A group of beneficial fungi associated with roots of plants in healthy soil Aid roots in nutrient absorption from soil

Soil Texture Percentage of sand, silt and clay SAND is the largest particle, course texture SILT is medium textured CLAY is the smallest particle and is very fine textured

Soil texture affects: Compaction Ease of tillage Drainage Water holding capacity Nutrient holding capacity

Soil Structure Particles group into aggregates CLAY helps bind, but too much clay will form a barrier to drainage SAND aids drainage and aeration, but too much sand causes water to drain too fast and makes soil dry out Excessive tillage destroys structure

Ideal soil composition 45% sand, silt and clay mixture Pore spaces 25% air and 25% water 5% organic matter

Soil and Water Depending on soil type, it takes between pounds of water for formation of 1 pound dry matter of plant material Amount of water passed through one acre of corn plants is equal to 16 inches of rain

Soil in nature Outdoors, soil is made up of organic matter, sand, silt and clay Different proportions of each will form different soil textures Ideal soil is not too sandy or too much clay

Indoor Soil Mixtures Soil less mixtures are usually a mix of peat, perlite, vermiculite and bark Perlite is white and aids in drainage Vermiculite is gold - copper color and looks like an accordion, which makes it useful in retaining water in the mix

Resources Integrated Plant Health Management Training Program for Landscape Maintenance Providers, MSU Nursery and Landscape Team TMhttp://hubcap.clemson.edu/~blpprt/bobweb/BOBWEB24.H TM