Soil PropertiesThat can be observed and measured to predict soil quality

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Color• The most obvious property when looking at soil is its color.

The color of soil can tell scientists a lot about it.

• Geologist officially recognize over 170 different soil colors. Most of these are shades of black, brown, red, gray, and white.

• Generally speaking, the darker a soil is, the more nutrient rich it is. The darker color often indicates an increase in decomposed organic matter known as humus.

• Gray soils often indicate poor drainage, while red soils can indicate very poor soils.

• These general rules about soil colors can, however, be misleading. Under certain conditions, a very poor soil can appear as dark black, while a rich healthy soil can appear as red.

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Temperature

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• Soil temperature is even more important than air temperature in your greenhouse, particularly if you're growing in beds.

• When soil temperatures are below 45°F, roots grow more slowly and are less efficient at taking up water and nutrients.

• Warm soil is particularly important for germinating seeds or rooting cuttings. 65 to 75°F is recommended for germinating most types of seeds.

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Texture• Another easily experienced

property of soil is texture. Pick up a pinch of soil between your fingers and rub it back and forth. You will quickly notice that the soil is made up of many different sized particles. These particles give the soil its texture.

• Some soils have more large particles and fewer small particles, while other soils have an abundance of small particles with few large particles. Other soils have an equal balance between small and large particles. These well balanced soils are the most healthy for plant life and are called loam.

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Particle Size/Infiltration• Remember: gravel is 2mm and larger; sand is less than 2mm; silt is less than 1/16mm; and clay is less than 1/256mm• Infiltration is the amount of water that passes through the soil surface in terms of depth (inches) in a given time period (usually 1 hour).•Water Retention Experiment Video

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• Lighter textured soils (such as sands or sandy loams) have desirable infiltration rates. • 'Heavy' textured soils which have a lot of clay and/or silt often have poor infiltration, because the space that the soil occupies is relatively dense.

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Soil Moisture

• Soil water is particularly important in nutrient management.

• In addition to sustaining all life on Earth, soil water provides a pool of dissolved nutrients that are readily available for plant uptake.

• Therefore, it is important to maintain proper levels of soil moisture.

• Soil water is important for three special reasons:

1. The presence of water is essential for the all life on Earth, including the lives of plants and organisms in the soil.

2. Water is a necessary for the weathering of soil. Areas with high rainfall typically have highly weathered soils.

3. Soil water is the medium from which all plant nutrients are gotten by plants. Soil water contains dissolved organic and inorganic substances and moves dissolved nutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and calcium, to the plant roots for absorption.

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pH – How acidic is the soil?• In order for plants to obtain the

nutrients they need to survive, these nutrients must be carried into them by being dissolved into the ground water that the plants absorb through their roots.

• If a soil has too much acid in it, the nutrients in the soil will be dissolved too quickly, and washed away as the water drains. If a soil is too alkaline (basic), or in other words, if there is not enough acid, then nutrients will not dissolve quickly enough.

• Thus, a neutral soil, which is neither too acidic nor too alkaline, is the preferred type of soil for plant life to thrive.

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Fertility• Fertile soil is crucial for our

existence!

• Soil plays an essential part in our survival since it is connected to our food supplies.

Here’s why:

• Fertile soil ensures plant survival. Fertile soil holds plants in place while providing them with the life-supporting nutrients that they need to survive.

• Plants ensure our survival. The food (nutrients) that all living organisms, including humans need in order to survive comes immediately or indirectly from plants.

• So, soil fertility is important. Without fertile soil we would have no plants. Without plants we would have no food. And without food, there is no us, since we need food to survive.

• Fertile soil helps plants take up the ingredients required for photosynthesis.

• Fertile soil provides plants with lots of additional "food" that supports plant life.

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Soil Property Video• Soil Properties Video

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