SOILS BACKYARD CONSERVATION

Transcription

1 SOILS BACKYARD CONSERVATION

2 WORKING LANDSCAPES PLLC Working Landscapes PLLC offers landscape architectural and irrigation design services, with an emphasis on sustainable technologies and techniques. Green Roof Research Mader Residence Rain Garden UW West Campus Housing (w GGN Ltd)

3 DEFINITIONS General Regional Site Specific Soil Weathering Process [src:

4 DEFINITIONS General Regional Site Specific IDEALIZED SOIL PROFILE O) Organic Matter A) Surface soil: Organics mixed with mineral matter. B) Subsoil C) Parent Rock R) Bedrock USDA [src:

5 DEFINITIONS General Regional Site Specific

6 DEFINITIONS General Regional Site Specific Soil Water [src: ubc.ca]

7 DEFINITIONS General Regional Site Specific Soil Food Web [src:

8 DEFINITIONS General Regional Site Specific Soil Health the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living system, within ecosystem and land use boundaries, to sustain biological productivity, promote the quality of air and water environments, and maintain plant, animal, and human health. Sustainable Landscape Management: Design, Construction, and Mansgement

9 DEFINITIONS General Regional Site Specific Glaciation [src: pbs.org] Glacial Extent [src: ImagesJPEG/peak_advance.jpg]

10 DEFINITIONS General Regional Site Specific Glaciation [src: Geological Hazards in Seattle, Tubbs and Dunne, 1977]

11 DEFINITIONS WHATCOM Skagit County - Farm Soils General Regional Site Specific Prime Farmland Farmland of Statewide/Unique importance Prime farmland if drained Prime farmland if irrigated Prime farmland if protected from flood WHATCOM SAN JUAN SKAGIT WHATCOM 05SKAGIT WHATCOM SKAGIT WHATCOM Alger SKAGIT Prairie Thornwood Lake Shannon Edison Bow Guemes Concrete Lyman Hamilton Marblemount Leary Anacortes Sedro-Woolley Bay View Burlington Rockport Clear Lake Fredonia Lake Campbell Mount Vernon Big Lake La 31 Conner Big Lake Conway Lake Cavanaugh SKAGIT SNOHOMISH SKAGIT SNOHOMISH D ISLAND SNOHOMISH Skagit County Farm Soils [src: ISLAND KITSA Miles

12 DEFINITIONS General Regional Site Specific Bottomlands: Alluvial Soil Skagit soils are very deep and naturally poorly drained, but they have been artificially drained and protected in most areas. Undrained areas of Skagit soils are high in salt content. These soils formed in recent alluvium and volcanic ash. The surface layer is silt loam about 12 inches thick. The upper 38 inches of the underlying material is silt loam and silty clay loam, and the lower part to a depth of 60 inches or more is very fine sandy loam. Skagit Soils [src:

13 DEFINITIONS General Regional Site Specific Uplands: Glacial Till Tokul soils are on glacially modified hills. The soils are moderately deep and moderately well drained. They formed in volcanic ash and loess underlain by glacial till. The surface is covered with a mat of needles, leaves, and twigs. The surface layer and subsoil are gravelly loam about 34 inches thick. The substratum is gravelly sandy loam about 5 inches thick over silicacemented glacial till. Depth to silicacemented glacial till ranges from 20 to 40 inches. NRCS National Soil Information System [src:

14 ASSESSMENT: SAMPLING Correct soil sampling is the first step in the process. Some of the important points of soil sampling are: Sample where the plant will be grown, and the depth to which the roots will grow. Divide the area into smaller sub-regions depending on soil type, crop grown, amendments used, etc. Take subsamples from throughout each region, mix in a clean bucket and take a sub-sample. Avoid unusual areas such as wetlands, former manure piles, etc. Avoid contaminating the sample; use clean sampling tools. WSU Extension [src:

15 ASSESSMENT: TEXTURE Soil Texture Triangle [src:

16 ASSESSMENT: TEXTURE Ribbon Test Place 1-2 tsp soil in hand Wet until it forms a ball w/texture of putty Squeeze between thumb and index finger Estimate length when ribbon breaks Ribbon <1 = Loam Ribbon 1-2 = Clay Loam Ribbon >2 = Clay

17 ASSESSMENT: TEXTURE Jar Test 2 c Water, 1 tsp Detergent Add 1.5 c Soil, SEAL LID, Shake well for 2 min After 1 min measure sediment level, Label SAND

18 ASSESSMENT: TEXTURE Observation: Compaction

19 ASSESSMENT: CHEMICAL PROPERTIES

20 ASSESSMENT: CHEMICAL PROPERTIES

21 ASSESSMENT: SOIL TESTING LABS Soil Analysis: Washington State University no longer performs soil tests. University labs that are available for soil testing are: 1. the University of Idaho Analytical Sciences Laboratory ( and 2. University of Massachusetts ( Both of these labs perform analysis using procedures that will be accurate for soils in western Washington and will provide recommendations.

22 ACTION! AMEND SOILS New Construction Retain and protect native topsoil & vegetation where practical Restore disturbed soils by tilling 2-3" of compost into upper 8" of soil Loosen compacted subsoil, if needed, by ripping to 12" depth Mulch landscape beds after planting Existing Landscapes Till in compost when re-landscaping Mulch beds with organic mulches Topdress turf with compost Soils for Salmon [src

23 ACTION! AMEND SOILS (p2) Import and apply a topsoil mix: For turf areas: a soil mix including percent compost by volume, or a mix with a lab test documenting 5 percent soil organic matter. For planting beds: a soil mix including percent compost by volume, or a mix with a lab test documenting 10 percent organic matter. (Goal is 5-10% Soil Organic Matter content by weight.) King County Post Construction Soil Standard [src Standard.pdf]

24 ACTION! Products

25 ACTION! Tools Gardenista [src

26 ACTION! MULCH Mulch is any organic material spread on the surface to conserve water, control weeds, and slowly feed the soil. Different mulches work better for different plants: Flower beds and vegetable gardens: spread 1-3 inches of fall leaves, compost, grass clippings, or straw. Keep mulch at least an inch away from plant stems. Trees, shrubs, and perennials: spread 2-4 inches of woody mulches, like wood chips (often available from tree services, or in bags or bulk from garden stores) or if chips aren t available, coarse bark (fine bark can plug the soil). Fall leaves also work well to prevent winter weeds and soil erosion. Lawns: mulch mow (leave the clippings). On lawns in poor condition, aerate and then rake in ½ inch of compost in spring or fall. Seattle Public Utilities [src GrowingHealthySoil/index.htm]

27 ACTION! Techniques: Sheet Mulch Gaia s Garden [src

28 ACTION! Techniques: Mulch w/ Arborist Chips Gaia s Garden [src

29 ACTION! Techniques: Mulch w/ Shredded Wood/ Beauty bark Gaia s Garden [src

30 ACTION! FERTILIZE Chemical fertilizers can pollute our waterways and damage soil and plant health. The best start for all plants is to amend the soil with compost before planting. Trees, shrubs, and most perennials get all the nutrients they need from healthy soil, and regular mulching with organic matter like compost, leaves, or wood chips. If lawns are yellow or thin, apply a natural organic or slow release fertilizer once a year in September, and top-dress with compost. Vegetables may need an organic fertilizer and mineral supplements as well as compost. Vegetable gardens and lawns may need lime every few years, which supplies calcium and makes other nutrients more available by changing the ph. Seattle Public Utilities [src GrowingHealthySoil/index.htm]

31 RESULTS

32 REALITY Change in tree canopy cover [src

33 RE-ACTION! LID Landscapes Rain Gardens Restoring Predevelopment Hydrology [src