Posted on 01/27/2012 10:40:54 AM PST by JustaDumbBlonde
I have a dear friend and neighbor who is elderly and not in the best of health. Day in and day out during gardening season she sits at her kitchen table and watches me work in my yard and garden, living vicariously through me. Once or twice a week I'll take her some vegetables and we discuss gardening, which was such an important part of her earlier years. You can see the love of gardening in her eyes every time we have a talk. I asked her one day to tell me the difference between dirt and soil. Soil, she stated matter-of-factly, was the ground that God provided to feed us well. Dirt, she continued, is what you have under your fingernails after you've worked in the soil. Pretty good description, if you ask me.
Actually, there is a difference that is considered a bit more scientific. Soil is a collection of minerals, air, water, animals and other living matter (and their wastes or decaying bodies) that accumulate in layers and become compacted over time. Indeed, soils are laid down in discrete layers and whose compositions vary over time and space. Soil is the diverse but integrated community of living and inanimate things that make up the ground beneath our feet.
So what exactly is dirt? It’s a group of runaways or kidnapped individuals that used to be part of the soil. Dirt can’t easily be associated with where it was born and grew up. In a sense, dirt is particles of soil that have been rendered anonymous. Sounds like my friend is even wiser than I ever imagined.
Did you know that each of the 50 US states have a State Soil? Neither did I. It was interesting that none of the soil types we have on our homestead or farm are the type that is Louisiana’s State Soil. (Note: you will need Adobe Acrobat to view each individual state in the list, but you do not need Acrobat to view the description of State Soils.)
In preparing for this weeks thread, I thought I had good knowledge of the 4 basic soil types of soil in the US. I remembered clay, silt, sand, and loam from Ag class in my days of FFA. There is also a little peat in the swampy areas here in Louisiana, but there is not enough peat in the US to register as a basic soil type. Well, I didn't know near as much as I first thought.
Did you know that soil is classified into different orders just like plants are classified into different types? Twelve different soil orders exist, and within these orders are different suborders. Soils are composed of different percentages of clay, sand and loam. Each type has different moisture, mineral and organic content. The environment where the soil is found plays heavily into the soil composition. It is well worth the time to read about soil classifications as written in eHow.com.
After determining the type of soil you are working with in your garden, you will need to test your soil before planting so that you can get the most out of all the hard work. I can't emphasize enough the importance of this step. You can spend a lot of money on fertilizers that will not be absorbed by your plants unless the pH of your soil is in the proper range.
Simple pH soil test kits are available at most garden centers and nurseries and can be easily performed following the directions on the kit. More detailed soil tests are available through your county's extension office. It may take a couple of weeks or more to get the results, so now is definitely the time to be contacting your extension service.
Please add any knowledge you have to the thread. Have you successfully amended your soil type to improve production? Any tips you've learned in working with your particular soil type? This is intended only as a jumping-off point. Please share and, above all, enjoy!
The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you.
This thread is non-political, although you will find that most here are conservative folks. No matter what, you won’t be flamed and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked.
It is impossible to hijack the Weekly Gardening Thread ... there is no telling where it will go and that is part of the fun and interest. Jump in and join us!
It’s going to be a Black Day at Bad Rock as the foreman of the house just snarled at me that I get out of the house and take advantage of a break in the weather today. Some reward for taking her out to dinner last night for our 55th. No Kids, no FRiends, just the two of us...
Tell her to rattle the keys when you are allowed back in the cell house.
Congratulations on your 55th. Fresh air is always good for te spirit, the foreman was looking forward for many more years with her favorite guy.
I got my soil sample report back! Now, If I can just get control of my sinuses long enough to go around to the ext service have have it translated to real world language.
I just got my packages of seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. I purchased some Asian Winged Beans, will plant them along the fence along with some tomatoes and cucumbers. I bought the De Bourbonne Cucumbers for pickling, no I don’t can, tried it a couple of times, but it’s not in my genes. Cherokee Trail of Tears pole beans, Chinese 5 color peppers and different yard long beans. I’ll plant in different places, just in case the decide to mix. Talk to you later, I’m putting out some newspapers then work on my “worm spot”.
We got a lot done around our house landscaping after I showed her Royal Harness what needed to be done while I tinkered with the weed wrecker which unfortunately started on the third pull...
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