Soil Health and Fertilizer Management - Chapter 4

Mineral soil

Soils that contain less than 20 percent (by weight) organic material

Sandstone, limestone, shale

3 rocks that serve as parent material and primary source of minerals in Pennsylvania soil

Clay, silt, sand

Mineral particles from smallest to largest

Labile material

Fuels the soil food web, decompose readily by microbes, decomposes rapidly in the presence of oxygen

Stable material

Organic material slowest to decompose

Excess nitrogen

Can result in succulent growth, dark green foliage, fewer blossoms and fruit

Symptom of iron deficiency

Interveinal chlorosis primarily on young tissue

Soil pH

Measure of hydrogen ion forming activity

7.8 pH

Indicates that plant nutrients such a s iron and manganese are less available for plant growth

Aluminum sulfate or elemental sulfur

Used to lower soil pH

Agricultural limestone

Raise a low soil pH

N-P-K

Includes phosphate, nitrogen, potash

Incomplete fertilizer

Contains a 0 (ex. 0-25-25)

WIN

Indicates nitrogen form is "slow release"

Complete fertilizer

Includes N-P-K

High unit cost

Disadvantage of slow release fertilizers

Composted manure nutrient ratio

1:1:1

Nitrogen burning

Caused by salts drawing moisture from roots

Potassium

Contributes to a plant's cold hardiness, disease resistance, general durability

Soil testing

Best done in the Fall

Postassium

Does not contribute to root and fruit production

Soil samples

Should be collected from ten random areas of a garden

Soil test analysis

Includes soil pH, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium levels

Organic material

Alleviates a compaction problem

Air and water pore space

Is altered by heavy soil compaction

Green manure

Cover crop grown over the winter