Soils & Growing Media Flashcards

1
Q

Soil definition

A

a naturally weathered part of the earth’s surface

fundamentally important port of plant growth

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2
Q

Soil function

A

source of mineral nutrients
source of water
anchorage

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3
Q

Soil properties

A
physical 
-room for air and water
-room for root growth
-structural base for plant anchorage
chemical 
-plant nutrient source and reservoir
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4
Q

5 components for ideal soil

A
air (25%)
water (25%)
inorganic coumpounds (45-47%)
organic compounds (3-5%)
soil microbes
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5
Q

inorganic mineral component

A

sand / silt / clay

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6
Q

inorganic mineral component functions

A

provides some minerals that are plant nutrients

provides a place for other nutrients to attach so they stay in the soil and are held there for plant roots to access

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7
Q

cation exchange capacity

A

soil particles are negatively charged
nutrient particles are positively electrically charged

this characteristic of soil is called cation exchange capacity

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8
Q

Cation exchange capacity function

A

mostly on small clay particles
prevents nutrient loss
soils vary in their CEC (cation exchange capacity)
nutrients are ‘exchanged’ by roots (removed from soil particles and moved into xylem of root)

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9
Q

Major nutrients

A
nitrogen
phosphorus 
potassium
calcium
sulfur
magnesium
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10
Q

nitrogen

A

proteins/DNA

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11
Q

phosphorus

A

energy storage/DNA

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12
Q

potassium

A

metabolism

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13
Q

calcium

A

cell walls

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14
Q

sulfur

A

proteins

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15
Q

magnesium

A

chlorophyll

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16
Q

minor minerals

A
iron
zinc
manganese
copper
boron
molybdenum 
chlorine 
cobalt+nickel
17
Q

what influences nutrient uptake by a plant from soil

A
how much nutrients is in the soil
solubility of the nutrient ion 
CEC of the soil 
soil pH
how much organic matter is in the soil
18
Q

Horticulturally we can influence

A
how much nutrients is in the soil 
- add fertilizer
soil pH
- add sulfur or lime
how much organic matter is in the soil
- add organic matter
19
Q

air and water components

A

are/need to be balanced

20
Q

functions of OM

A

water holding
nutrient holding
nutrient source
soil structure

21
Q

Soil organisms component

A

micro and macro organism
algae, bacteria, fungi, nematodes, earthworms, insects, moles, etc.
beneficial/harmful

22
Q

functions of organisms

A

decompose organic matter
open space in soil
fix nitrogen from air to soil
form mutualistic relationships