Soil Remediation Workshop

1. Soil Remediation Workshop By Josh Singer & Bahiyyah Parks

2. Class Outline 1. Urban Soil Problems 2. Soil Testing 3. Soil Remediation 4. Vermicompost

3. Urban Soils

4. Urban Soil issues • Lack of an Organic top Layer • Lacking nutrient cycling • Nutrient Deficiencies • Leeching, poor construction practices • Soil Compaction • Prevents water, oxygen, and nutrients from reaching the roots • Soil Contamination • Lead, Arsenic

5. Soil Testing

6. Why Soil Test? • Majority of tree problems are a direct result of soil. • Plants need a balance of nutrients, pH, and organic matter in soil. • If there’s not enough or too much nutrients, too high or too low pH, and too little organic matter plants will have difficulty growing.

7. Step 1: Sanitize Tools Tools • Use either a shovel, soil probe, auger, or trowel to dig the holes. • Do not use brass, bronze, or galvanized tools because they will contaminate samples with copper and/or zinc. • The soil will need to be mixed in a plastic bucket, that hasn’t been used to store fertilizers or other chemicals. • Clean your equipment with water before the test.

8. Step 2: Identify Unique Areas • Soil tests should sample each unique area, or individual soil type, separately as a different test. • The physical appearance, texture, color, sunlight, slope, drainage and past fertilization history should be similar throughout the unique area.

9. Step 3: Digging the Samples • For each unique area take at least six to twelve samples (approximately 15 ft. apart) • Remove all mulch, grass, rocks • Dig a V-shaped hole, 6-8 inches deep and a shovel’s head wide. • Scrape the side of the hole straight down to collect a vertical dirt sample about a half inch wide and containing dirt from all the levels. • When using a soil probe or auger, make sure to go down 6-8 inches for each sample. • Place the samples in a bucket.

10. Step 4: Prepare the Sample • Mix all samples • Scoop out around one cup of soil and spread it on a piece of paper to dry. • When the sample is dry, fill either a pre-ordered sample box or a clean plastic bag, about two-thirds full. • Label the outside of the bag clearly with a sharpie with the customer’s name, address, and the name of the unique area.

11. Step 5: Mail Sample Mail the sample(s) to either A & L Eastern Laboratories, Inc. (http://www.aleastern.com/index.html) Will test for Lead and Mercury More expensive or University of Mass Amherst (http://www.umass.edu/soiltest/order.htm) Just tests for lead Less Expensive Make sure to fill out the order form, downloaded from their websites, and include the order forms with the mailed samples.

12. Step 6: Reading Test Results • Most soil tests will tell you if certain nutrients are low or high, if pH levels are low or high, or if there are containments. • Focus on recommendations. • If you are not sure about certain recommendations, Google it for alternatives.

13. Soil Remediation

14. Good Soil Structure • Higher Organic Matter • BalancedNutrient Levels • Higher biological activity • Large root systems • Minimal Tillage • Little compaction • Low salt fertilizers • Surface mulching • cover crop/ green manures

15. Higher Organic Matter Holds moisture Adds bulk Feeds Earthworms and Microbes Adds small amounts of Humus Sources: Crop residues, Old Roots, Compost, Vermicompost,Manure,Cover crops, Mulch

16. Humus • Calculated as part of OM in soil tests • Increases soil’s CEC • Holds 30—70% of soil’s Nutrient holding capacity • Acts as sponge to hold water for roots • Improves soil’s structure

17. Balanced Nutrient Levels • Add minerals to your soil! • Balance Soluble Nutrientsto Slow Release Nutrients • Nutrients in short supply= Limiting factor • Do not add too much Nitrogen Amendments to use: Rock powders, mined fertilizers, manure, kelp, humates, fish, Sea-90

18. 10 Important Soil Nutrients • phosphorous • calcium • potassium • magnesium • Sulfur • zinc • manganese • iron • copper • boron

19. Higher Biological activity • Soil Food Web consists of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes, microarthropods, worms and beetles • Improves soil structure • Moderates water levels • Provides nutrients to plant’s roots • Protects plants from pathogens and pest attacks

21. Mycorrhiza • A Symbiotic relationship between fungus and roots. • Roots give Mycorrihizae (plural) food and a place to stay and in return Mycorrihizae increases the root’s ability to absorb water and nutrients. • Mycorrihizae are mostly found in natural habitats such as a forest.

22. Earthworms remediation • Earthworms • Decompact soil • Process organic matter into plant accessible nutrients (high in NPK) • Balance acidity • Have been known to reduce containments • Applying worms • Place worms in a small hole • Cover Surface area with a soft organic matter mulch/compost to feed worms. Worms will only stay if there is organic matter to eat. • water

23. Minimal Tillage • Tilling decreases organic matter in soil • Tilling disrupts soil fungi and bacteria’s homes • Tilling increases weeds! • Reduces soil porosity and structure (long term)

24. Low Salt Fertilizers • Most chemical fertilizers are high in salts • Harm soil life • Injure plants • Nutrients are often too soluble

25. Surface Mulching • Feeds and protects soil life • Mimics Nature • Decreases need for watering • Hinders weeds

26. Mulching • Benefits • Increases organic matter • Suppresses weeds • Winter protection • Holds moisture • Prevents soil crusting • Can encourage beneficial fungus and bacteria (i.e.. Mycorrhiza) • Suppresses turf competition • Remulch every season • Keep mulch 2-3 inches thick and 2-3 inches away from trunk. Make sure you can see the root flare. • Avoid volcano mulching A little goes a long way

27. Sheet mulching • Newspaper/cardboard (breaks down) • Landscaping Fabric (may harm soil)

28. Living Mulch • Companion plants • Must manage competition

29. Cover Crops • Adds Organic Matter and Mulch to soil, if left • Roots can help aerate soil, break up compacted soils, feed microbes • Can add Nutrients to soil • Prevents erosion • Can out-compete weeds • Can attract beneficial insects

30. Companion Plants Green Manures: • Plants that are cut back and plowed before they can seed to add nutrients to the soil • Comfrey, Alfalfa, bayberry

31. Companion Plants Soil Decompacters: • Plants with strong deep roots that help to beak up compacted soil to gather deep nutrients. • dandelion, daikon radishes, carrots

32. Companion Plants Nitrogen Fixers: • Plants to extract nitrogen from the air and transfer it into soils • cow peas, peanuts, white clover • May need to inoculate .

33. Tree Guild A sustainable ecosystem based on a woodland habitat Soil creating components • Nutrient cycling – nature’s recycling system a continuous flow of organic matter (leaves, stems, etc) into the production of living matter. • Mineralization – when organic matter decomposes into plant accessible forms • Humus– fully decomposed organic matter

34. Remediating Contaminents ***Always do a soil test to see how the soil is contaminated.*** • Replacement • Completely replace the soil, very expensive • Amendment • Amend the soil as much as possible lowering the percentage of containments • Bacteria in compost has been successful in breaking down certain containments. • Bio remediation • Use plants to soak up the containments • Sunflowers – lead, arsenic, zinc, uranium • Spider Plants – arsenic • Hydrangeas – aluminum • Water Hyssop – mercury • Red Mulberry - (PCB) - Polychlorinated biphenyl ***Dispose of plant waste properly, don’t compost*** • Earth worms • There’s growing evidence that earthworms can bio remediate toxins such as PCBs and lead • Mycoremediation • Use fungi to remediate toxins such as mercury, PCB,s and dioxins • Paul Stamets – lead researcher – www.fungi.com

35. Vermiculture

36. Why Vermiculture Vermicluture is the practice of creating compost by feeding organic matter to worms. • Advantages • Can be done inside • No heat • Worms reproduce, increasing the speed of composting and possibility of more bins • Disadvantages • Worms take more care • Limited to the number of worms in the bin • Avoid Citrus

37. Components of a Worm Bin • A bin with several 1/8 inch holes, and a lid • 6-8 inches of Wet bedding • Ripped up newspaper • Pet moss • Straw • Add starting soil • Worms • Make sure the worms are Red Wigglers, Eisenia foetida

38. Feeding Your Worms • Feed your worms almost anything that you would normally compost (Avoid lots of citrus and onions) • If possible bury food scraps in the top layer of the bedding, especially large pieces. • Don’t use more food scraps than the worms can eat in a week. (add more food after the worms have eaten 2/3 of previous food scraps) Bokashi Options

39. Construction Instructions • Dill 1/8 inch holes in your bin every couple of inches starting 4inches off the ground. • Drill several holes on the bottom for drainage • Create the bedding by ripping newspaper into long thin strips on the bottom of the bin. Fill the bin up 6-8 inches. • Add starter soil • Wet the bedding.

40. Harvesting a Worm Bin • Easiest way to harvest a vermiculture bin is to push the finished compost all to one side • Add fresh bedding, water, a little compost, and food to the empty space. • In a 1-2 weeks all the worms will move towards the new area and you can safely harvest the old compost.

41. Trouble Shooting Fruit Flies - cover food with soil - add less food - chop up food Bad Smells - empty water faster - cover food with soil Mold - too much citrus - empty water faster Worms crawling out of bin - conditions are not right

42. Citizen Composter What is a Citizen Composter? • An awesome citizen who is actively composting to produce compost and/or worms to amend urban soils supporting trees, to increase the survival rate of urban trees. • Each Citizen composter will receive a map of tree boxes to amend, assistance creating a vermiculture bin, and ongoing technical assistance.

43. Further Questions • Contact Josh Singer and Bahiyyah Parks • jsinger@caseytrees.org • bahiyyah@yahoo.com • To get involved contact • wangarigardens@gmail.com • Resources • http://www.youtube.com/user/growingyourgreens • gardenweb.com • rockdustlocal.com • bionutrient.org • gardeningwithmicrobes.com • trustnature.com.au • www.boogiebrew.net