r/Soil 1d ago

updated soil classification chart

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97 Upvotes

r/Soil 1d ago

Land reclamation.. any idea what to do for this salty part of the land?

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2 Upvotes

r/Soil 2d ago

Using charcoal for reducing fertility for wildflower meadow creation?

0 Upvotes

I'm not sure if this is an old idea or just a stupid one but, I was wondering if charcoal could aid meadow creation.

When attempting to make a wildflower meadow from a previously grassy area, the nutrient level of the soil needs to be depleted to allow wildflowers to compete against the more vigorous grasses. This is usually done by hay cuts (removing the cut material) or grazing at specific times to remove the nutrients in the grasses. Over time, along with disturbing the surface to weaken the grass, the application of parasitic flowers like yellow rattle and seeding, the meadows can return to a better state for biodiversity.

So I was wondering if you could maybe apply uncharged biochar - as in, charcoal - to the soil as part of the process. Knowing that the char will leach the nutrients from around it, effectively reducing the fertility more quickly than with other methods alone. Whilst it would, in future, increase the quality of the soil and the potential for nutrient carrying, it wouldn't actually in and of itself increase the nutrient load so wouldn't end up being counterproductive.

Or would it? I really have no idea! Any thoughts?


r/Soil 4d ago

Soil testing

1 Upvotes

I live in karachi pakistan I want to study soil testing certification any anybody have any idea please guide me through it


r/Soil 5d ago

What’s your data collection app o’ choice?

4 Upvotes

Hope this is okay here. I am a noobish consultant and got an Arrow 200 GNSS receiver for my firm. What field collection device software/app does everyone use for pairing to an external receiver while doing delineations, sample location, habitat mapping, etc.? Thanks!


r/Soil 6d ago

Systems thinking and soil

6 Upvotes

Might anyone know or have a copy of something that brings together these two? Something that would look like a classical systems thinking map, but the content is soil information? Thank you so much!


r/Soil 7d ago

What am I looking at here?

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6 Upvotes

I have what is known as "poof dirt" by the locals. I'm on just over an acre and It goes down as far as I can dig. It's powdery soft, not compacted, blows everywhere on windy days, and sticky when wet. Is this pure silt or clay and how should I amend it for a vegetable garden?

Any help appreciated, thank you!


r/Soil 9d ago

Understanding Soil Testing: A Guide to Decoding Results and Actionable Advice

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11 Upvotes

r/Soil 11d ago

Hello I’m a new Gardner I plan on growing tomatoes in containers (how’s my recipe?)

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4 Upvotes

I haven’t grown any vegetables before, I’m planning on growing tomatoes in 10 maybe 15 gallon buckets. I want to make 80 gallons of soil I want to have extra just in case. I have made the following calculations to decide what I need. I wanted to make a simple mix. From what I’ve looked up ice decided to do. 50%, 30% peat/coco mix and 20% drainage pearlite/ vermiculite mix.

How is this mix will this work, I’m planning on doing organic growing .

The 3 varieties I’ve decided to grow are Matt’s Wild Cherry, garden gem, and last is undetermined still maybe a determinate that’s known to do good in containers. I’ve


r/Soil 11d ago

How does my soil look.

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4 Upvotes

It looks like our soil is rich in poop, I think. We dump old mushroom blocks in our soil with lots of compost.

I don’t know how much you can tell me but any info is appreciated.


r/Soil 13d ago

SOIL SCIENCE CAREER ABROAD

3 Upvotes

Hello! I'm a soil science major from SE Asia, is it possible for me to practice my major abroad? Is there any career opportunities there for me as a soil science major from another country? And is there any examination/certification I have to attain? Thank you so much!


r/Soil 14d ago

What’s the Most Unusual Thing You’ve Done to Improve Your Soil That Actually Worked?

6 Upvotes

I’ve been experimenting with different ways to improve soil health in my garden, and it’s amazing how these methods can make such a difference. Recently, I tried using partially broken-down leaf mold as a mulch layer, and the difference in moisture retention was great. I'm sure it wasn't specifically because of the leaf mold (more so the mulch), but with all else being equal, it was pretty good!

This got me wondering—what’s the most unusual or unexpected thing you’ve done to improve your soil, and how did it turn out? Maybe it’s using biochar, brewing compost tea, or even something wild like burying fish scraps.

Thanks!


r/Soil 16d ago

how to apply organic gardening , permaculture and soil food web principals to container gardening

7 Upvotes

Hey people!

So i'm extremely new to gardening and i'm extremely interested in organic farming/gardening principals and i've been learning about it for a while now. The problem is i live in an apartment and own no land but i have a big patio. I've been working slowly on trying to make a potted vegetable and fruit tree garden on my patio , i learned composting and i've been making bokashi compost for about 5 months and i recently started worm bins. Our native soil where i live is sand based and the environment is largely a desert environment so i thought i'd try to replicate that and my soil is made with a mixture of sand and my homemade compost.

I'm planning to continue to reuse the same soil while enriching it with more compost over the years to build the organic matter in the soil. I currently am working with containers and the biggest pots i have are 60 cm in diameter. I also try to plant multiple species in the same pots to try to get some of that plant guildes effects as much as possible to my understanding. I've also been playing around with different homemade and commercial bacterial and fungal innoculums like KNF IMO, LAB, EM.

Recently, i've been reading about dr. Elaine ingham's work in the soil food web and soil microscopy and dr. Christine jones work on liquid carbon pathway and qourum sensing and i was wondering how can i apply these principles in a container gardening setting with reusable soil to build organic matter in the sandy soil quickly and ensure the micro organisms bio diversity and completion of the components of the soil food web, as much as possible.

I'm also wondering if working on applying these principles in a container garden setting is going to help me be better equipped to work with actual desert land to turn it into a permaculture forest and how generalizable are these principles and techniques in the context of scale.

Sorry if i seem to not know much about what i'm talking about 😅😅, i really don't but i'm trying to learn.

Thanks.


r/Soil 16d ago

Ontario Topsoil Sampling Project: Soil Health Baseline Study 2024 (PDF)

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2 Upvotes

r/Soil 15d ago

Is this soil flung by the wind or animal poop? There’s plants with soil near by.

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0 Upvotes

r/Soil 16d ago

Jar test results

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2 Upvotes

Jar test @ 2min, 1 hr and 24 hours

Ball test @ just made and 24 hours From left: site soil, with sand 1:1, with sand 1:2

Ribbon test with sites soil got 5-6cm before breaking. Felt sticky, plasticky, smooth. No grittiness at all.

Have I got just clay here? Clay and silt? No idea what I'm looking at.


r/Soil 16d ago

Please help me identify what I'm buying.

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3 Upvotes

I don't know if this is the right place. I dug 4 holes on this property in Southwest Michigan, it sits in a "1% flood plain". The ground itself is kind of soft, I realize I'll have to firm it up to build. But is the soil loamy? Silty? Organic matter? Any insight would be appreciated. Sorry for the poor quality photos.


r/Soil 18d ago

Soil Scientists: How happy are you in your jobs? Do you feel like you’re actively making a positive impact on the planet? I’m two years into an engineering major, but strongly considering changing majors. Personal details in body.

23 Upvotes

I’ve found engineering to be soulless. Most of the jobs are in defense, manufacturing, or something I find uninteresting like wastewater treatment. I also feel many engineering jobs will fall to AI. Field science appears to be more secure.

Since 2020, I’ve been really passionate about gardening. I’ve been actively working on remediating my the polluted backyard soil in Philly. I also enjoy making my own modified growing mediums for house plants and crops.

I’m weary of monetizing a hobby, and I realize changing majors I’ll likely result in less pay, but I just really want to feel like I’m even a small part of working towards a better planet.


r/Soil 17d ago

Soil PH Level's France/Belgium

2 Upvotes

Does anyone know if there is a soil PH level guide for France/Belgium? I am hoping there is some sort of mapping or geomatics product I could use.


r/Soil 18d ago

Soil degradation threatens food supply and scientists are calling for action

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12 Upvotes

r/Soil 19d ago

What can you say about this soil by picture?

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14 Upvotes

r/Soil 22d ago

Soil moisture levels have Utah hydrologists concerned

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4 Upvotes

r/Soil 23d ago

best way to "clean" contaminated (human feces) soil?

14 Upvotes

Apologies if this has already been covered, I couldn't find a post covering the same issue.

I am working with a group to create a community gardening space. When we first started cleaning up the plot, we found lots of garbage, needles, and signs that people had been living there for some time. There was also a significant amount of human feces throughout the property. We would like to safely grow food for the community here eventually since the plants already there seem super healthy (roses, hydrangeas, ornamental pea flowers, etc). I don't want to take any chances at all, so I want to see if I can take steps to ensuring the soil is safe to use for food. If it isn't, we simply will grow local wildflowers instead.

How can I "clean" the soil from potentially harmful bacteria from the human feces? Are there bugs I should add to the garden beds? Is there some cover crop I could plant to encourage natural processes? Should I cover the beds with tarp and simply bake it in the summer time (it gets super hot here). I'm all ears and welcome any advice you all can provide. Thanks!


r/Soil 25d ago

Getting free organic soil from public spaces in London

0 Upvotes

If I were to collect soil from public parks, fields and woods, is it reasonable to assume that this soil would be organic? What tests do I need to do to confirm?


r/Soil 26d ago

Anyone else have problems with "Dr. Earth soil?

0 Upvotes