Horticulture
Hort 109 Soils & Plant Nutrition
Texts:
Plant Soils Outside Reading Packet, Western Fertilizer Handbook
Recommended: Sunset Western Garden Handbook (see others below)
Equipment (optional)
Small pocket calculator for homework, exams, and laboratory work.
Safety goggles (Chemistry-type available in EdCC bookstore); we have some but they may be scratched from usage.
Course Description and Objectives:
This is an elementary soils course designed to give the student a thorough and basic understanding of the fundamentals and principles of soil science and its practical application to real-life situations encountered in horticulture. This course deals with the origin and formation of soils and the conditions that affect plant growth and the physical and chemical properties that can be altered to optimize soil conditions for plant life. Soil testing and properties of fertilizers are covered. The nutrient requirements of plants and the effect of nutrient deficiencies of various landscape plants are studied. Practical interpretation of soil test results, the nutrient status of Western Washington soils, along with determining fertilizer rates, soil amendments, and methods of application are covered.
| Grading | Lecture | Laboratory |
| Quizzes/ homework assignments | 60 - 85 % | |
| Laboratory assignments | 100 % | |
| Group projects ( Fertilizers/ Unknown soil )* | 15 - 30 % | |
| Final ( specimen test/ or field final ) | 10 - 15 % |
Time lines counts! Late assignments may be docked or have extra work assigned to fulfill the requirement. Make-ups/ retests, where feasible, are all contingent upon prior approval. Calling in helps!
Schedule details: see the full listing of dates and reading assignments on the Class Schedule.
* Group project: Write up (40 %, minus 10 % if not typed)
Oral presentation (40 %)
Group collation/ effort (20 %)
Recommended Readings:
Roadside Geology of Washington; David Alt & Donald Hyndman 0-87842-160-2
The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks & Minerals;Charles W. Chesterton; Knoft 0-394-50269-8
Soils; Brooklyn Botanic Garden Handbook #110; John P. Bowles, editor; 1990; ISBN 0362-5850
Rocks & Minerals; Pat Bell & D. Wright; Collier Books, MacMillan Publ.; 1985; ISBN 0-02-079640-4
Forest Soils of the Douglas-Fir Region;Paul E. Heilman, editor; Washington State University, Cooperative Extension Service, Pullman, Wa. 99164; 1981 rev.
Organic Soil Amendments and FertilizersUC Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program. University of California. Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Publication 21505. David Chaney, Drinkwater, & Pettygrove.
The Plant Nutritional ManualMicro-Macro Publishing, Inc., 183 Paradise Blvd. Suite108, Athens, GA 30607 (706) 548-4557; FAX (706) 548-4891
Plant Nutrition: An Introduction to Current ConceptsGlass
Principles of Plant NutritionK. Mengel & E.A. Kirkby
Mineral Nutrition in Higher PlantsMarshner
Try these Web sites as well:
Brooklyn Botanic Garden (http://www.bbg.org)
Composting Resource Website (http://www.oldgrowth.org/compost/index.html)
City Farmer (of Canada) (http://www.cityfarmer.org)
Cornell Composting (http://www.cals.cornell.edu/dept/compost)
The Sustainable Urban Landscape Information Series Web Site (www.sustland.umn.edu)
Readings
Soils Outside Readings -1st column; Western Fertilizer Handbook -2nd column
- WEEK 1
- Introduction; class objectives & requirements.
- Brief overview of Washington geologic history; landforms.
- Parent material. Weathering agents. Rocks & Minerals.
- Chapters 1, 2, 3 Chapter 1
- Introduction Soil - A Medium for Growth
- Rocks and Minerals
- Soils -Physical Properties
- Soil Classification
- Soil Taxonomy, soil surveying, soil mapping.
- Chapters 6, 7
- Soil Classification
- County Soils
- WEEK 2
- Holiday: Martin Luther King Day
- Soil Composition & Origin. Chapter 3
- Principles of Plant Growth
- Chapter 4 Chapter 2, pp 21- 35
- Soils - Water Relations Water & Plant Growth
- WEEK 3
- Soil Profiles
- Jan 28 - Physical Properties of Soils.
- Texture, density, porosity, consistency, color.
- WEEK 4
- Soil Properties and Water Relations- continued
- Soil Water- continued
- Functions, retention forces, moisture classification, measuring moisture content,
- water flow, uptake, water use.
- Chapter 5 Chapter 10
- Soils - Organic Matter Media for Planting and Potting
- Chap 1: pp 14-19 again (Soil - A
- Medium for Plant Growth)
- WEEK 5
- Soil Water continued.
- Monitoring, irrigation, drainage.
- Soil Organic Matter
- Composition, decomposition, micro-organisms, macro-organisms, C-N ratio, benefits,
- amendments.
- Chapters 8, 9 Chapters 4, 8
- Soil Chemistry Essential Plant Nutrients
- Plant Nutrients Methods of Applying Fertilizer
- WEEK 6
- Soil Organic Matter continued.
- Summation to date. Soil Chemistry
- Nutrient uptake by roots, absorption and distribution. Cations, valence, pH.
- Chapter 9 : Soil /Media & Tissue Testing
- WEEK 7
- Holiday - President's Day
- Plant Nutrients
- Mobile/ Immobile elements. Deficiency symptoms.
- Chapters 10, 12 Chapters 5, 6
- Soil Management & Fertilizer Basics Fertilizers
- Specific Fertilizer Recommendations Specialty Fertilizers
- WEEK 8
- Feb 28 - Major elements
- Fertilizer forms of the major elements.
- Chapter 11 Chapter 2, pp 35- 65
- Soluble Fertilizers & Salinity Water & Plant Growth
- Feb 29 - Advising Day - make your appointments early!
- (with counseling: 640-1459 to book in with Tim, Polly, Bess or Walt)
- Mar 3 - Minor elements
- Fertilizer forms of the minor elements.
- Chapters 13, 14 Chapters 11, 12
- Using Amendments to Correct Soil and
- Growing-Media Problems
- Growing Plants in Solution Culture
- WEEK 9
- Fertilizers
- Calculations, application, rates, specialty fertilizers, organic fertilizers.
- Mixes
- Soil-less mixes, greenhouse mixes, topsoil mixes. Salinity.
- Chapter 13
- Best Management Practices
- WEEK 10
- Soil Problems
- Tilth, mulches, soil amendments, composting.
- Summation/ review/ discussion.
- WEEK 11
- Test
- Final - Specimen &/or field test.
- Read these chapters ahead of time since the information will be discussed in class as an overview; new terms may also be brought out in lecture and lab exercises that week. Your understanding of the concepts will be enhanced as a result.
COURSE OBJECTIVES AND SKILLS A STUDENT WILL BE ABLE TO PERFORM UPON COMPLETION OF THIS COURSE.
CLASS SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES:
OBJECTIVE I- To introduce the physical development of the mineral portion of the soil.
A. Identify the major landforms of Washington and their geologic origins.
B. Identify the weathering agents of local parent materials and their end products.
OBJECTIVE II- To introduce soil taxonomy, soil surveys, and soil mapping.
A. Identify the general types of soils and their origins.
B. Locate a site on a soil survey map and give recommendations regarding that soil.
C. Gauge the approximate limits of the major soil horizons.
OBJECTIVE III- To explore special relationships within soils.
A. Collect soil samples.
B. Analyze the physical properties of soils (texture, structure, density, porosity, consistency, color).
OBJECTIVE IV- To explore soil water and its relation to plant growth and nutrition.
A. Calculate different levels of soil moisture in the lab and field.
B. Identify the results of poor and excess drainage.
C. Recommend drainage needs and methods of achieving drainage of various soils.
D. Recommend amendments to correct poor or excess soil air levels.
OBJECTIVE V- To identify soil organic matter in its various forms and its importance.
A. Identify the origins of organic matter in soil and its functions there.
B. Analyze a soil's organic matter content.
C. Calculate volumes of organic amendments needed for soils deficient in organic matter.
D. Recommend how to make compost from different C:N ratios.
OBJECTIVE VI- To understand plant nutrients as they relate to plant growth & development.
A. Analyze a soil for pH and major nutrients.
B. Determine fertilizer requirements for specific plants.
C. Identify plant deficiency symptoms.
D. Recognize fertilizer excess symptoms.
E. Identify regional areas where major deficiencies are likely to occur.
OBJECTIVE VII- To understand basics of fertilizers.
A. Identify types and kinds of fertilizers.
B. Read and interpret information on fertilizer packages.
C. Explain the plusses and minuses of chemical and organic fertilizers.
D. Recommend and calculate rates and types of fertilizer for different areas and plant needs (greenhouses, turf, landscape plants, etc.).
E. Recommend how fertilizer must be applied (top dressing, incorporated into the soil, foliar application, etc.).
(To be addressed throughout the lecture, laboratory and group projects).
COMMUNICATION:
Apply basic communication skills in problem solving.
A. Prepare and give written documents interpreting their data and utilizing the quantitative information derived from their own soil analysis tests.
B. Prepare and give oral presentations concerning their recommendations derived from soil analysis.
(To be addressed in the Group Projects)
CRITICAL THINKING:
To analyze special soil situations.
A. To analyze soil data regarding its physical and chemical status and recommend changes needed to grow plants successfully.
B. To recommend soil mixes for container plants or special situations.
Apply basic scientific knowledge in problem solving.
A. Identify basic concepts of chemistry in soil applications.
B. Identify basic concepts of biology in soil applications.
(To be addressed in the Laboratory assignments and Group Projects)
QUANTITATIVE SKILLS / COMPUTATION:
Apply basic math skills in problem solving.
A. Solve industry related math problems.
Identify growing media and apply fertilizers:
A. Interpret analysis of fertilizer from information on tag or container and compute the necessary amount to apply for given situations.
(To be addressed in the Laboratory assignments, Group Projects, and Chapter tests from the books).
