An ideal plot involves scenes that move logically toward an end goal so the protagonist gains or loses what they desire. This structure is known as Initiating Incident / Developments / Crisis and Resolution format.
Ideal soil consists of sand, silt, and clay with about five per cent dead organic matter (OM), which provides its texture.
Particle Size
Soil contains particles of different particle sizes; small particles are called sand, while larger ones are rocks. Soils can be classified according to these particle sizes: sand, silt and clay. To quantify these particle sizes in samples taken from various environments and environments, particle size distribution analysis is undertaken; multiple methods are available, and the most appropriate one will depend on both the nature of the sample and the questions asked about that sample.
Results of such testing are usually displayed as frequency diagrams or histograms, with an x-axis representing particle sizes and a y-axis representing their frequency in a sample. Q(x) on this curve represents the percentage of samples containing particles of size x; this value can also be called per cent passing (d90,d50, etc.).
The width of a distribution is also of great significance. A monomodal distribution has only one maximum; most samples, however, contain multiple maxima, making it polymodal.
As explained, soil can be divided into four components: sand, silt, clay, and dead organic matter (OM). An ideal soil should contain these elements in roughly equal ratios, as shown below.
However, it would be unreasonable for gardeners to expect their soil to meet these exact specifications; most people have soil that is more or less sand-heavy, with silt and clay present at different concentrations.
Sand, silt and clay form an environment for bacteria, fungi and other organisms essential to supporting plant life in 95% of soil – water, air and minerals – such as plant growth. This habitat allows bacteria and other microbes to work together, constantly moving to form the rhizosphere – the thin layer of liquid and soil surrounding root cells which nourish roots; its thickness also determines water retention capacity and the retention capabilities of our gardens! Furthermore, encouraging these microorganisms’ presence will help stop soil erosion as this ecosystem becomes established!
Percolation
Percolation testing is an essential soil science lesson that can assist gardeners in choosing an ideal spot for their vegetable garden. The objective is to avoid areas in which water drains too quickly, which could reduce oxygen availability to plants and encourage pathogen growth, which impedes plant absorption. Furthermore, it’s also essential to consider how speedily or slowly sites retain water depending on whether their soil is saturated or dry.
Healthy soils are complex living ecosystems that support plants and animals alike. They regulate water cycles, filter potential pollutants out, recycle nutrients back in, and provide physical stability to plant and human structures—yet they are constantly attacked by natural and artificial factors.
Most people know that soil consists of nonliving materials like sand, silt, clay particles, and organic matter, but few know that soil is home to an incredible diversity of living organisms that contribute to its health and productivity—everything from earthworms and nematodes to bacteria and fungi that together comprise healthy, productive soil.
Untangling and understanding the soil food web, an intricate system of living microorganisms that interact and influence plant roots can be challenging. This is particularly true for novice gardeners with little experience unravelling this complicated web of microbes integral to soil health and plant success.
Many gardeners need help with heavy, clay-like soil that’s difficult to work and doesn’t support vegetable or other crop growth. Though they might regularly add organic matter, their soil’s condition does not improve; an improved understanding of soil health is vital for meeting their goals and realizing success in gardening.
This manual aims to equip beginning gardeners with an in-depth scientific knowledge of soil science. Section one introduces key concepts, while sections 2 and 3 utilize these ideas to address specific soil issues and solutions. Because each person’s soil needs are unique, section 4 allows the reader to craft an individual plan for improving them.
Water Retention
Soil’s ability to retain water depends on its porosity and pore space size, as well as on the amount of organic matter present. More organic matter means more oxygen and hydrogen molecules have somewhere to live, and it clumps up clay soil more effectively, allowing more air and water to remain trapped inside its confines.
Water retention can be measured using the soil water holding function, also known as the soil moisture characteristic function. This relationship between plant roots and unsaturated soil shows how hard they must work to extract water for plant roots to extract, which ultimately determines their rate of water uptake by plants.
Students experimenting to assess the water retention characteristics of any soil will observe what happens when water is added to it. Students should write down when water reaches the bottom of their cup and how much was poured onto the top. After conducting their test, students will discuss their observations and make predictions as to whether or not the soil holds water efficiently.
After reviewing their investigation results, students will work as junior soil scientists to design an optimal soil environment for plants growing in terrariums. Students will then present their solutions to the class using knowledge gained in lessons 1-4 and employing engineering design principles.
Students will then play with various textured soils available in the classroom and describe their texture, feel and size before being asked how plants obtain water and nutrients needed for growth. Students should provide answers such as rainwater harvesting, groundwater seepage or capillary action as methods; students may share that sand holds onto water briefly before it evaporates quickly after holding.
Soil Microorganisms
Microorganisms are among the most abundant cellular organisms found in soil. When organic material is added, their numbers exponentially increase until their carbon “fuel” runs out; when that occurs, their populations decline temporarily until microbes decompose themselves to release nutrients such as nitrogen back into the environment.
The soil microbiological community is highly diverse, comprising millions of distinct microbes that perform various roles. Furthermore, their functional redundancy ensures that when an environmental disturbance kills off one microbe, it may be replaced by another that serves the same function, helping maintain the overall stability of this complex network of soil life.
Bacteria are among the most abundant of all microbes. They are prokaryotic organisms with cell volumes less than 0.1 mm3, usually living in spherically or rod-shaped structures and producing cell walls of less than 0.10 mm3. Fungi are also abundant in soil environments and work effectively at breaking down more challenging organic materials before bacteria take over by digesting more digestible components.
Fungi and bacteria are essential in producing sticky substances to cement soil particles together, lessening water pressure’s effect on them and producing mucilages to ensure aggregates don’t crumble under pressure. They also produce peptides that bind with silica in our sands and clays, giving the earthy aroma so characteristic of soils today.
Rhizosphere refers to the zone of soil surrounding active plant roots that is home to an explosion of microbial activity, creating an ideal environment for their roots to access essential nutrients. Microorganisms in this rhizosphere area play an invaluable role in supporting plants by fixing nitrogen from soil air, dissolving minerals from the soil surface and breaking down organic material – providing root cells access to essential vitamins and minerals needed for survival.
Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) and protozoa (one-celled organisms that break down organic material) exist. Nematodes, tiny roundworms that can either benefit plants or kill them, contribute to creating the complex natural symphony known as healthy soil, with any of these elements out of sync, causing its entirety to suffer.