- Trace Elements
- Plant Nutrition
- Planting Depth
- Soil Compaction
- Soil PH
- Rhizosphere
- Mycorrhizae
- Beneficial Bacteria
- Watering
- Special Topics
Trace Elements
Definition: A Trace element, also called Micronutrient, is any chemical element required by living organisms in minute amounts to live. Exact needs vary among species, but there are 8 essential trace element every plant needs to thrive. These essentialplant micronutrients include copper, boron, zinc, manganese, chlorine, nickel, iron and molybdenum. Lack of a necessary plantmicronutrient in the soil causes plant deficiency diseases. From http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/601406/trace-element- 8 essential trace elements
- Needed in varying amounts
- If one or more nutrients are lacking in the soil, plant health declines, even though an adequate amount of other elements are available
Plant Nutrition
Definition: Proper plant nutrition not only involves the 16 essential nutrients for plant growth, but also the ability for plants to absorb and break down nutrients into a form they can use.- There are 16 essential nutrients for healthy plant growth
- Synthetic fertilizers can be a good thing with controlled release
- Just because its ‘organic’ doesn’t mean its safe
Planting Depth
Definition: The depth at which plants are planted in the soil relative to the rootball or root flare.- Planting too deep is a very common practice that can have deadly consequences
- 75% of trees in your local nursery are buried too deep in the container (Maynard 1995)
- 93% of professionally planted trees are planted too deep (Smiley and Booth 2000)
Soil Compaction
Definition Condition when soil particles have been packed tightly together forcing air out from the pores between the soil grains. Normally, compaction is the result of heavy machinery, people or animal traffic. Affected soils become less able to absorb water from rain or irrigation, thus increasing runoff and erosion. From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_compaction- Tightly compacted soil has no air for roots to grow
- Water runoff and poor plant growth are symptoms of soil compaction
- Any soil type from clay to sand can be compacted
Soil PH
Definition: Soil pH or soil reaction is an indication of the acidity or alkalinity of soil and is measured in pH units. It is defined as the negative logarithm of the hydrogen ion concentration. The pH scale goes from 0 to 14 with pH 7 as the neutral point. As the amount of hydrogen ions in the soil increases the soil pH decreases thus becoming more acidic. From: http://www.esf.edu/pubprog/brochure/soilph/soilph.htm- Lower pH is more acidic, higher pH is more alkaline and pH 7 is neutral
- Too high or low of soil pH can hurt a plants ability to absorb nutrients
- Most plants prefer a soil pH around 7 or neutral
Rhizosphere
Definition The rhizosphere is the narrow region of soil that is directly influenced by root secretions and associated soil microorganisms.[2]Soil which is not part of the rhizosphere is known as bulk soil. The rhizosphere contains many bacteriathat feed on sloughed-off plant cells, termed rhizodeposition, and the proteins and sugars released by roots. Protozoaand nematodes that graze on bacteria are also more abundant in the rhizosphere. Thus, much of the nutrient cycling and disease suppression needed by plants occurs immediately adjacent to roots. From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhizosphere- Location where root hairs and soil meet
- Tons of microbe activity
- A healthy rhizosphere is key to a healthy landscape
Mycorrhizae
Definition a type of fungus whose name is derived from the Greek mykós meaning “fungus” and rizameaning “root”. Mycorrhizae or “fungus root” forms a unique symbiotic or beneficial association with the roots of plants. This association issymbiotic because the relationship is advantageous for both organisms. The plant gains increased access to water and nutrients in the rhizosphere (surrounding soil). The mycorrhizae uses the excess carbon from the plant as a food source. From: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/faculty/davies/research/mycorrhizae.html- 95% of all plants form symbiotic relationships with mycorrhizae
- The mycorrhizal relationship benefits BOTH the plant and mycorrhizae fungus
- Increase the surface absorbing area of roots 100-1,000X
Beneficial Bacteria
Definition Microscopic, single-celled organisms. They reproduce by fissionor by forming spores. They can practically live everywhere and in all kinds of environments, such as soil, hot springs, radioactive waste, and even in the bodies of other organisms. While some bacteria are bad and cause illness and disease, there are far more bacteria that are harmless or have beneficial effects. Beneficial bacteria living in and around plants and animals are essential for good health. http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Bacteria- Very small organisms
- Most bacteria does NOT cause disease
- People & plants need beneficial bacteria to be healthy
Watering
Proper watering is very important to the health of your landscape, and no doubt can be one of the more mysterious topics. Some important things to consider whether you’re installing a new sprinkler system, managing an existing one, or watering by hand are: considering watering root zones, finding the right sprinkler head, water coverage, shallow root zones & soil compaction.- Proper watering is important
- Different plants need different amounts and watering times
- Plants talk! If the leaves of your plants are turning brown from the tip inward, it’s a sign they need more water