SOIL Its ALIVE What is soil Everyone share

SOIL It’s ALIVE!

What is soil? Everyone share what you think soil is.

Agenda: 1. What is soil and what does it do? 2. Soil Nutrients Needed for Plant Growth 3. Your Learning Garden Soil 4. Managing Soil Health

What does soil do for us and plants? ● Medium for plant growth ● Home for organisms ● Recycler of natural materials ● Water filtration system ● Modifier of the atmosphere ● Structure holding up buildings

Soil Components: Worm (OM) Air Minerals 25% AIR Organic Material (OM) 45% Minerals 25% WATER 5% OM Water

The mineral content - Sand, Silt, and Clay: Sand 2. 0 -0. 02 mm Silt 0. 02 -0. 002 mm Clay <0. 002 mm

The Ribbon Test:

Soil Structure: Water and Air: Half Water Half Air After Watering Not Watering

!!! SOIL IS ALIVE !!! Organisms and Organic Matter Decomposes Physical Decomposer Chemical Decomposer

Nutrients in the soil: Macro: Micro: Calcium Nitrogen Magnesium Chlorine Phosphorus Potassium Zinc Boron Manganese Iron Copper Molybdenum

Macronutrients: The main ingredients needed for plant growth: Nitrogen (N) Vegetative growth Phosphorus (P) DNA and RNA Root Development Seed Production Potassium (K) Enzymatic Activities

Micronutrients & Trace Minerals: Calcium Boron 50 - 120 ppm 0. 1 - 0. 5 ppm 1, 000 1, 500 ppm Chlorine Photosynthesis Cell Structure Manganese Magnesium Iron 2. 7 - 9. 4 ppm Reproduction Photosynthesis Copper 1. 1 - 6. 3 ppm 0. 3 - 0. 6 ppm Zinc 1. 0 - 7. 6 ppm Chlorophyll Molybdenum Chlorophyll Oxidase Enzyme Nitrogen Uptake

How do nutrients move through the env. ?

How do nutrients move through the env. ?

Spot the unhealthy plant: A. B. C. D.

Spot the unhealthy plant: A. B. C. D.

Spot the unhealthy plant: A. B. C. D.

CLASS ACTIVITY: Soil Nutrient Card Game 1. 2. 3. 4. Put 10 beads into each cup except for the water cup which gets 5. Assign one member of your group to be the Bacteria/Fungi. Shuffle the cards and place them in a stack. Read the question on the front of the card and come up with an answer as a group. 5. Flip the card over and check you answer. 6. Move the amount of beads dedicated on the card. 7. Repeat until you have used all the cards in the deck. 8. What do you notice about the amount of beads in each category. 9. Remove the cards labeled 1 and 2 and replay the game. 10. What do you notice this time.

Explore Your Learning Garden Soil! ● ● ● What do you find in it? What don’t you find in it? How many parts of soil can you identify? What does it feel, smell, and look like? Does it form a ribbon? Big Question! Is it soil? ? ?

Maintain Soil Health: ● Amendments ● Cover crops ● Mulching

Natural Fertilizers ● ● ● 1 cup per full garden bed 2% Nitrogen 6% Phosphorus 3% Potassium Calcium Magnesium Sulfur Manganese Zinc Slow Release N ● ● ● 1 cup per full garden bed 4% Nitrogen 6% Phosphorus 4% Potassium Calcium Magnesium Copper Sulfur Slow release N

Cover Crops:

Mulching: