Concept Map!

Warm Up

• Define medium

Properties of Growing Media

Introduction

Getting to Know Soil

Essential Question

• What are important characteristics of growing media ?

What do most plants need to grow?

• Water• Light• Soil

– But soil is only 1 type of media that plants can be grown in !

Soil

• Definition: The outer part of the Earth’s crust

Soilless Medium

Definition: Contains no topsoil, used to grow plants.

Aeroponics

Hydroponics

• Growing plants in a nutrient solution• Plants are supported by gravel, spongey

material, or nothing at all!

• Nutrient solution can be added to material, or directly onto plant’s roots.

Hydroponics System

What’s required?

• All growing medium must achieve certain functions.– Growing Medium: Material in which the roots of

plants grow

Growing Medium Must:

• Provide nutrients• Provide a place for plants to root, and anchor

themselves• Aeration (presence of oxygen) – Provided by pore spaces: air holes between

particles

• Hold moisture

Which Medium ?

• Below are photographs of possible mediums. Explain why each would work, or not work, as a growing medium for plants. 3 sentences per photograph please! You will only add water to your plant.

Nutrients

• Plants need nutrients to grow! – Sometimes found in growing medium– Plants grown in soilless medium need help! =

Nutrient supplements!

• Be careful nutrients do not leach !– Leaching: Nutrients run out of the medium,

causing the grower to continually add the nutrients.

Important!

• Soil must be able to drain excess water!

• Plant roots need oxygen to function ! – Extra water would cause plants to suffocate and

possibly rot

Important!

• In floriculture production– Mix must be uniform

– Helps develop schedules to plant, water, and fertilize

Activities

• Review Quiz 1

Properties of Growing Media

Growing Media Components

Warm Up

• What do you recognize in this media?

Essential Question

• What are the components of soil?

Vocabulary Review

• Soil: outer portion of Earth’s crust that supports plant growth

• Soils vary based on:– Location– Parent material– Mineral matter

• Characterized by mineral matter

Mineral Matter

• INORAGNIC! • 3 types– Sand– Silt– Clay

Types of Mineral Matter • Sand: largest! – Good for drainage! Too much sand will not hold

enough moisture for the plant to grow. • Silt: medium! – Produced by water breaking down minerals. Found

near rivers• Clay: smallest – Holds water well. Forms hard clumps when dried.

• Sand , Silt , Clay = 45% of soil composition• Equal parts of sand, silt, and clay is called a loam

Organic Matter

• What is it?– living or dead plants and

animals.

• Makes up 5% of soil

• Required for plants to grow!

• High Nutrient content!

What’s Left?

• 45% Inorganic Matter• 5% Organic Matter• 50% - Located in the Pore Spaces – 25% Water– 25% Air

Growing Experiment

• Growing Plants in a Variety of Soil Conditions– Step 1. Answer questions 1-5 in your packet on

page one

Soilless Mediums

• Soil is not always best– Not always available– Not always “clean”

• Insects, disease

– Heavy to move!

• What is a soilless mixture/medium?– Combination of organic and inorganic substances

that will provide sufficient support for plant growth.

Types of Soilless Mixtures

• Peat Moss– Originates in bogs– Great ability to hold

moisture– Lighter in weight than

soil– BUT• Is acidic in pH . Might

effect plant growth!

Types of Soilless Mixtures• Perlite– White in color– Comes from heat

treated lava rock– Very lightweight– Used to aerate the soil

Soilless Mixtures

• Vermiculite – High ability to hold

moisture – Lightweight– Normally used for

germinating seeds – Comes from the

mineral Mica

What else can we add?

• Soil Amendments : an item added to a planting mix for the purpose of increasing the quality and growth of plants.

• Examples: bark or sand

Soilless Pro’s and Con’s

PRO’s

• Mix is uniform • Mix is sterile

– Sterilization eliminates disease

• Can be manipulated to improve mixture

• Can be mixed by the grower• Easier to move

– Lightweight

CON’S • Often need to add

fertilizer’s • Dry pots can be blown over• Difficult to transplant from

soil to soilless

Stuff Happens with Bill Nye

Activities

• Review Quiz 2 • Ribbon Testing Soil Lab

Properties of Growing Media

Providing Nutrients in Floriculture

Warm Up

• What could be wrong with these plants?

Essential Question

• What are the nutrients needed for plants for growth?

Macronutrients

• Needed in large amounts– Nitrogen (N)– Phosphorus (P)– Potassium (K)– Calcium (Ca)– Magnesium (Mg)– Sulfur (S)

Macronutrients : Purpose

• Green leafy growth – Nitrogen

• Increase flower and fruit production– Phosphorus

• Disease Resistance– Potassium

Micronutrients

• Nutrients that are needed in smaller amounts by the plants but are still essential to plant growth– Boron (B)– Copper (Cu)– Chlorine (Cl)– Iron (Fe)– Manganese (Mn)– Molybdenum (Mo) – Zinc (Zn)

Soil Test

• Performed to determine what nutrients are present

• What can it show?– What is present?– What is deficient?• Lacking or not present• Affects plant growth!

Deficiencies

• Plant growth negatively affected

• Examples:– Nitrogen deficiency • Plants leaves will start to yellow

(called chlorosis)

– Phosphorus deficiency • Stems or leaves turn purple

pH

• Effects nutrient availability to plants• Soil pH: measures the amount of acidity or

alkalinity in the soil.– pH based on amount of hydrogen ions in the soil

pH• Ranges from 1 to 14• Most plants grow between 5.6 and 7

• KNOW THIS SCALE ->

• Determines what soil amendments to add

• RISE pH = add limestone• LOWER pH= add sulfur

Fertilizer

• Any material that is provided to plants to supply the nutrients needed for plant growth.– Vary in components, application methods, and

function

Fertilizers: What to know!

• Analysis– Located directly on the bag – states the percentage of primary nutrients

(nitrogen,phosphate, and potash) present in the fertilizer

• Complete Fertilizer: fertilizer contains all three primary nutrients

• Incomplete Fertilizer: lacking any of the three primary nutrients

Fertilizers

Fertilizer: Application Methods

• High in nitrogen: household plants• High in phosphorus: flowering plants

• Application methods– Liquid : applied directly to foliage– Granular: most are granular. Not water soluble.

Considered slow release fertilizer • Water plants after powder-type granular application

Fertilizer Applicators

Ecosphere Part 2 : Nitrogen Cycle

Activities

• Video Questions• Review Quiz 3

Properties of Growing Media

Nature of Soil

Warm Up

• What do you see in this photograph?

• Do you notice anything about the soil?

• How is the soil organized?

• HINT: Soil Formation Sheet!

Essential Question

• How does soil help in supporting life?

• Get out your Soil-Net Packet to use while you take notes.

Soil Resources

• Soil is found in layers on Earth’s Surface • Resources Soil Provide Include:– Oxygen– Temperature– Water– Carbon– Nutrients

Resources Explained

• A. Oxygen– needed for adequate root growth.

• B. Temperature– soil absorbs heat from the sun. It also loses heat

to the atmosphere. This helps plant have the most comfortable temperature for GROWTH!

Resources Continued …

• C. Water– Used for growth of plants.

• D. Carbon– Comes from organic matter in the soil.

• E. Nutrients– provided as minerals. They are broken down as

nitrogen. Recycled through decaying material in the soil

Review Soil Components

• Inorganic Matter– 45% Sand, Silt, and Clay

• Organic Matter– 5% Dead or Living plants and animals

• Pore Spaces– 50% Air and water located between particles

Water Movement in Soil

• Water infiltrates the soil– Water soaks into the

soil

• Downward movement of water=percolation

Types of Water

• Gravitational Water: water that drains through the pore spaces in the soil as a result of gravity.– Moves quickly through soil with large pore spaces.

As water moves it can pick up chemicals and other pollutants ! This is known as leaching

Types of Water Continued…

• Capillary Water: water that is held between the particles of soil against the forces of gravity.– This water can move upwards or sideways by

capillary action. Occurs more in clay type soils.

Types of Water Continued…

• Hygroscopic Water: water that forms a thin film around individual soil particles.– This water is unavailable to plants

Activity

• Represent with action the different types of water found in soil.

Biological Nature of Soil

• Types of life found in soil:– Earthworms, Insects, Bacteria, Fungi and MORE!

• Bacteria and Fungi:– VERY IMPORTANT!– Break down organic material releasing nutrients !

Biological Nature of Soil Continued…

• Earthworms, ants, crawfish, moles, and other organisms improve the soil tilth– Tilth: Ease at which soil can be worked. How hard

or soft is the soil?

– Create openings as they tunnel enhances drainage and air exchange! Remember AEARTION?

Check it out!

Magic School Bus Meets the Rot Squad

Video Review Questions

• Who was part of the “Rot Squad”? • Where did the students visit?• What “things” were living in the environment?• Why were these “things” living there?• Why are decomposers important to soil and

plant life?

Properties of Growing Media

Nature of Soil: How Plants Use Soil

Warm Up

• How has the soil failed in this photo? Why do you think this happened?

Essential Question

• How do plants use soil ?

Plants Use Soil

• 4 Main Ways Plant Use Soil – Anchorage– Water– Oxygen – Nutrients

Anchorage

• Soil acts to provide a firm support as roots grow throughout the soil.

Water

• Soil provides nearly all of the water used by plants. Water is absorbed through the plants’ roots.

Oxygen

• Nearly all living things need oxygen !• Plants – RELEASE oxygen during photosynthesis– CONSUME oxygen during respiration

Oxygen

• Soil Aeration: The exchange of soil and atmospheric air in order to maintain adequate oxygen for plant roots.

Nutrients

• 13/16 nutrients for plants come from the soil!• Root hairs absorb nutrients in soil water

Nutrients

• Not all plants require nutrients from the soil!

• Fungi use nutrients by decomposing dead things!

• Let’s watch a video to explore fungi and how they retrieve nutrients, reproduce, and use the world around them!

Fungi Video

How is soil used?

• Personal Use– House plants– Herb Garden – Vegetable Garden

• Commercial use– Horticulture Industry !

Uses of Soil in Horticulture

• Cropland- this is land on which soil is worked and crops are planted, cared for, and harvested.– Annuals including: corn, soybeans, cotton,

vegetables

Uses of Soil in Horticulture

• Grazing land: this is land used for grazing cattle and sheep. It is often planted to perennial forage.

Uses of Soil in Horticulture

• Forest: this is land used for growing trees which are later harvested– Products include: paper, lumber

Uses of Soil in Horticulture

• Water Structures: ponds and other reservoirs are constructed out of soil.

Properties of Growing Media

Nature of Soil: Non Horticultural Uses of Soil

Warm Up

• How do you use soil at home?

• Are these horticultural uses? – Why or Why not?

Essential Question

• What are some non-horticultural uses of soil?

Recreation

Foundations

Waste Disposal

• Treats soil sanitary waste• Uses microorganisms

Building Materials

Weathering and Erosion Video. Complete Packet

Test Review • Define : Soil, Soilless Medium, Hydroponics, Growing

Medium, Organic matter, Inorganic Matter, pH, Micronutrients, Macronutrients, Soil Test

• What are the 3 types of water found in the soil? How do they move through the soil?

• What are the 3 soil particle types? What are their characteristics?

• What are the components of soil? What percentages are they found in?

• What are biological components and what do they do for the soil?

• What are the macronutrients found in fertilizer (proper terms)? What does each provide for plant growth?