1. Soil Analysis Lab Purpose: 1) To examine, discover, and compare the physical and chemical properties of soil. 2) Discover whether your soil meet the requirements needed to grow broccoli.

2. Review Soil • Top layer of Earth’s surface • Soil is made up of minerals, organic matter, air, and water.

3. Review Soil’s Importance • Basis of life • Filters water • Water storage • Habitat “Our soil is not just dirt, it is a factory where everything needed to feed plants, animals and humans is being made.”

4. Review Soil Formation

5. Review Topsoil

6. SETP 1: Collecting Soil: Materials • Soil samples can be collected in school yard, garden, lawn, flower pot etc. • Use clean trowel, spoon or dull knife to loosen soil • Dig about 2 to 6 inches into topsoil • Do not touch • Place about a cup into paper bag • Record location and name on bag

7. Collecting Soil Procedures • Place name, location and date on bag • Collect about 1 cup of soil • Let dry out (no need to seal bag) • Note any plant growing nearby

8. STEP 2: SOIL COLOR, ORAGNIC MATERIAL AND TEXTURE The color, texture and materials in the soil can tell a lot about the soil

9. Soil Color • Generally the darker the soil the better (more organic materials) • Gives clues to soil origin

10. Soil Organic Material • Very important part of soil

11. Soil Texture

12. STEP 3: Soil pH • Measure of acid/base/neutral • Determines if nutrients are available to plant • Most prefer 6.0 to 6.8

13. Soil Nutrients • Minerals such as Nitrogen, Potassium, Phosphorus • Key to plant health • Fertilizers (manure, man-made) add nutrients

14. How Plants Get Nutrients From Soil • Extracted in solutions • Through Roots • pH too high/low

15. You are a farmer…the soil is your “factory”

17. STEP 4: Extracting Soil Nutrients • To test nutrients we must first extract soil solution • Use larger plastic tube • Follow directions • Will use this extraction for rest of lab

19. Step 5: Nitrogen • Key nutrient for plants • Green leaves • Most common nutrient • Broccoli needs high levels

21. Step 6: Phosphorous • Critical for root development • Helps grow strong and produce flowers and fruit • Broccoli needs high amounts

23. Step 7: Potassium • Needed for new cell growth • Whole plant needs it • Without enough it grows slowly • Broccoli needs high amounts

25. Conclusions/Sharing Data

26. Name Soil Sample Location Texture Result pH result Nitrogen Phosphorus Potassium ** Share your data with the class using the SMART Board **