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Horticultural Uses of Soil

Horticultural Uses of Soil. Vegetable Culture. Most important crop by total value Grown throughout U.S. Concentrated in economic production areas like California. Vegetable Culture. Soil Selection Coarse soils: Warm rapidly in spring Allow early planting/harvest – better prices

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Horticultural Uses of Soil

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  1. Horticultural Uses of Soil

  2. Vegetable Culture • Most important crop by total value • Grown throughout U.S. • Concentrated in economic production areas like California

  3. Vegetable Culture • Soil Selection Coarse soils: • Warm rapidly in spring • Allow early planting/harvest – better prices • Best for early crop growth – cool season crops • Melons need drainage • Usually irrigated

  4. Vegetable Culture Medium-textured soils • Good for all crops • Used where yields are more important than early harvest Fine-textured soils • Less desirable for vegetables Organic soils • Favorites for cool season and root crops

  5. Vegetable Culture In summary: • Soils for growing vegetables should be loose, friable, and high in humus • The most essential factor is good drainage

  6. Vegetable Culture Soil management • Most use conventional tillage • Drainage may be needed • Conservation tillage poses challenges • Raised beds improve drainage • Organic matter difficult to maintain • Many vegetables are inefficient fertilizer users

  7. Vegetable Culture Soil management (continued) • Irrigated sands leach readily/low fertility • Calcium movement into edible plant parts is slow • blossom-end rot of tomatoes and cracked stems in celery typical • Starter solutions used on transplants • high in phosphate • overcome immobility • stimulate rapid rooting

  8. Fruit Culture Differs from most crops: • Usually long-lived woody plants • Remain in place many years • Influences soil management

  9. Fruit Culture • Soil selection • Require well-drained soils to 3-4 ft deep • Tolerate wide pH ranges • note blueberries pH 4.3-4.8 • Favor hillsides for growing apples • Allows drainage of cold air • Controls for erosion hazard noted

  10. Fruit Culture Tolerate wide range of soil texture • Apples and Pears – finer-textured soils • Plums and Peaches – coarser texture • Grapes – sandy or gravelly texture • Berry crops – moderately coarse texture

  11. Fruit Culture • Soil management • Long-term crop • Site should be carefully selected • Soil must be prepared before planting • Nitrogen is the most important nutrient for the established fruit crop • Note hazard of excess N; shortages of others

  12. Fruit Culture • Many fruit crops are clean-cultivated • Loss of O.M. • Poor tilth • Erosion hazard • Alternatives: • Mulch or cultivate in rows • Sod between rows

  13. Nursery Field Culture Growing nursery stock is very hard on soil!!! • Clean-cultivated • Little crop residue • Soil is dug up and removed with balled and burlapped trees and evergreens

  14. Nursery Field Culture Site Selection • Land should be level or terraced • Well-drained • pH between 5.5 and 6.5 • Texture varies with harvest method • Bare root – sandy or sandy loam • Balled and burlapped – finer textures better • Silt loam or Clay loam preferred

  15. Nursery Field Culture Soil management: • Organic matter maintenance critical • Consider rotate with green manure • Apply animal manures or sewage sludge • Plant cover crops between rows • Mulch in rows • Sod row middles • “living mulch” of winter rye; killed with herbicide when tree begins growth – dead rye acts as mulch

  16. Container Growing One of the most demanding ways to grow! • Requires constant attention to watering, fertilizing, and other practices; however . . . • Container grower has complete control over soil conditions • Enables growing large crop of uniform, quality plants • Interiorscaping • Apartment dwellers • Home owners

  17. Container Growing Differs from growing in ground in key way: • Plant’s root system confined to small soil volume that must supply all the plant’s water and nutrient needs • Must water and fertilize far more than when growing in ground

  18. Container Growing Six areas of consideration • Naturally poor drainage • Types of potting soil • Soil sterilization • Soluble salts and alkalinity • Soil temperature • Water pollution

  19. Landscaping • Landscapers must understand how soils, roots, and water interact • Landscape soils are complex • Radically altered by construction and landscaping • Soils of different textures mix; creates interfaces

  20. Landscaping • Site and Plant Selection should match • Avoid Compaction • Proper Planting Depth • Transplanting success requires rapid root growth • Amending soil pH may be necessary • Fertilize Established Trees

  21. Landscaping • Turf • Most common element of a landscape • Avoid interfaces of “black dirt” • Till in new soils and compost amendments • Watch high nitrogen fertilizers (pollution)

  22. Landscaping • Xeriscaping • Landscaping adapted to dry climates • Wide range of plants thrive under low moisture conditions • Cacti • Succulents • Yuccas • Numerous shrubs, trees, and flowers are adaptable and can tolerate dryness • Rose periwinkle • Several salvias

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