soil and compost for trees - treefolks · soil and compost for trees •soil formation, horizons...
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Soil and Compost For Trees
Soil and Compost For Trees
• Soil Formation, horizons and ecosystem
• Organic Matter
• Mulch, Compost and Humus
• Compost – the basics
• About trees and soil
Why Worry About Soil?
• It’s the foundation for tree growth and
health
• It cycles most nutrients and is a huge C sink
• It can be degraded or lost easily
• For every pound of food we produce we
loose 22 pounds of soil
• It takes hundreds to thousands of years to
make an inch of soil
Formation of Soil
• Climate
• Parent Material (rock)
• Topography
• Time
• Living organisms
• People can help
“Nature and Properties of Soil”
•
What is Soil?
• Soil is the end product of the influence of
the climate, relief (slope), organisms, parent
materials (original minerals), and time.
• In horticulture, the term 'soil' is defined as
the layer that contains organic material that
influences and has been influenced by plant
roots, and may range in depth from inches
to many feet.Wikipedia
Soil Horizons or Layers
• O – Organic Matter
• A – Mixture of mineral and humus
• B – More minerals, less organic material
• C – Broken parent material
• Parent material or regolith
Soil Depth
• Defined by depth to restrictive layer – rock,
heavy clay, etc
• Shallow – 10 to 20 inches deep
• Deep – 36 to 60 inches
Per Arizona Extension
Soil Building Blocks
• Sand – largest particle, lots of pore space
• Silt – small particles, moderates effects of
sand and clay
• Clay – very small particles, sticky, doesn’t
breath well
How much water will my soil
hold?
Soil Type In 2 Feet In 3 Feet
Sand 1.25” 1.75”
Silt Loam 2.2” 3.4”
Clay Loam 2.0” 3.0”
Clay 1.9” 2.8”
SURFACE AREA IN 2 TABLESPOONS
OF SOIL EQUALS ONE CITY BLOCK
The Micro Living Room
It’s Alive!!!!!
Soil Ecosystem
Number and Biomass of Soil Organisms
Number/ Number/ Biomass
Organisms yd3 oz (Lbs/Acre-6”)
Bacteria Trillions Millions + 400 – 4.000
Actinomycetes Trillions Millions 400 – 4.000
Fungi Billions Thousands + 500 – 5,000
Algae Billions Thousands 20 - 500
Protozoa Billions Thousands 15 – 150
Nematodes Millions Tens + 10 – 100
Earthworms 30 – 300 100 – 1,000
4% organic matter is 80,000 lbs per acre
Decrease to 1% means loss of 60,000 lbs per acre
Symbiosis
• The idea of evolution driven by competition may be incomplete and is instead based on cooperation, interaction, and mutual dependence among organisms
Ecosystem
Cycles
•N cycle - protein
• C cycle – plant material
• Water cycle
• Short circuiting cycles
• Recycling?
The Nitrogen Cycle
Dung Beetles
Burrowing creatures can greatly enhance
fertility, air and water infiltration
Collembola - Springtails
Nematode trapping fungi
Mycorrhizae fungi
Mulch, Compost and Humus
Mulch
• Organic or inorganic covering over the soil
• Can be compost, bark, leaves, gravel,
plastic, etc
Benefits of Mulch
• Moderate soil temperature
• Improve water penetration
• Reduce soil compaction
• Retain soil moisture
• Reduce weed problems
• Can be used to keep produce off the ground
Compost
• Decomposition of organic materials with
cycling of nutrients
Benefits of Compost
• Recycles organic materials
• Builds soil structure and improves aeration
and moisture properties
• Cycles and releases nutrients for plant use
• Foundation for life in the soil
Humus
• Dark colored semi-stable organic material
• Composed of material resistant to
decomposition such as lignin, fats
Compost Methods
Composting
• Air
• Moisture
• Food source
What Are My Goals?
• What materials do I want/need to compost?
• Do I need to get my pile hot? (Over 130
degrees kills weed seeds and diseases)
Slow Composting
• Layers
• Ensure adequate moisture
• Leaves can form a “roof”
• Mix of nutrients
Fast Composting
• Right mix of materials
• Moisture
• Air flow
• Turn and mix
What Can I Compost?
• Theoretically anything organic
• Avoid fecal material of humans or pets
Decide on pile or bin
• Bins help retain moisture and can exclude
animals
• Large bins or piles may be required for
large amounts of material but can be hard to
manage
• At least three feet on each side to retain
moisture, heat
Mix Materials
Water
• Compost should feel like a damp sponge
Turn Every Week or Two
How will a tree’s roots grow?
• Type of tree
• Soil type and depth
• Watering/drying cycle
• Nutrients
• And…
Trees with fibrous roots
• Maple
• Ash
• Cottonwood
• Cypress
Trees with taproots
• Oaks
• Walnut
• Pines
• Pecans
• Mesquites
How to use Compost and Mulch?
• Never mix compost with the tree planting
soil – this creates a “pot” effect
• Place a layer of compost on the surface
• Cover compost with a layer of mulch 2’ –
6”
• Try to keep the soil covered
Mesquite roots
can be 100 feet deep
Questions?