Soils-weathered rock
Order that particles will settle in water
Sand- heaviest settles first
Silt- settles second
Clay- lightest settles third
Soils
• A horizon / top soil-(dark) – contains the most organic material
• B horizon / sub soil-(brown) – area where nutrients leach to, from the A
horizon
• C horizon-(white gray-tan) – weathered bedrock
• Bedrock-parent material
Organic Material
• Once living or from a living thing (manure).
• Gives the soil it’s dark color
• Located in the A horizon
• Aids in moisture retention
Leaching
• Water and minerals leach through the top soil into the lower layers of soil horizons B and C. This is the reason that farmers use fertilizers and manure.
Organisms
Organisms are very important for plant life
• Organisms break down material for plants to use
• Organisms also create holes and burrows for air and water to get into the soil. Which further mechanically and chemically weathers the soil
Soil Quality
• Good soil
Good soil has 3% to 5% of organic matter
• Sandy soil
Sandy soil contains 1% of organic matter
• Silt and clay
Silt and clay contain up to 5% organic matter
Health of Soil
• The way to determine the health of soil and it’s ability to produce is by the amount of organic matter in the soil
Soil particles
• Small soil particlesSmall soil particles hold more organic matter
because they stick to each other. Which means that the organic material gets held between the particles
• Large soil particlesLarge soil particles don’t pack as easy and don’t
hold as much organic matter
Ex: sugar vs flour
Nitrogen
• N=Nitrogen• composes 78% of the earths atmosphere • Largest nutrient that makes up plants• Gives plants their rich green color
(chlorophyll) • Excessive nitrogen may delay crop
maturity because it produces excessive growth of stems and leaves at the expense of the fruit ripening
Phosphorous
• P=Phosphorous
• Works for the plant reproduction cycle
• Found in high amounts in seeds, fruits, and roots
• Adds vigor to plants to help make them healthy and energetic
• Encourages root development
Potassium
• K=Potassium• Soils that are high in
clay content are high in potassium
• Encourages smooth action of nitrogen and phosphorous
• Adds vigor to plants• Strengthens stems• Guards against
disease • Involved in
production of amino acids (builds proteins)
pH scaleAcid-Base scale
• Soils with ph higher than 7.0 or lower than 6.0 will slow nutrient uptake for most plants
• To bring up the pH in the soil farmers use lime to neutralize the acids.
• To bring ph down in soil farmers spread turkey, chicken, or goose manure. (poultry manure is high in acid)