Soil Pit Fun!

We are having a blast learning about the two different soil pits that were at the organic farm!

Healthy Soil!

Healthy Soil has many important management goals that must be achieved:
-High Amount of Macropores (big pores)
-Stable Aggregate
-Low Bulk Density
Aggregation in soil is key to determining how easily water moves through soils. Aggregates contain lots of macropores which allows for water to move more freely through soil, making nutrients more readily available for plants to absorb.

Spider in the Soil!

Spider!! While scary to some people, spiders and other organisms are vital to expressing how healthy a soil is for its intended purpose, and help contribute to soil diversity.

Native Plants!

This sample was taken from the organic hedge row. Aside from showing off a few awesome native plants, this row serves to shelter the strawberries that will be planted in the organic farm soon. The hedge row also acts as a food source for bugs that help pollinate the strawberries that are next to the row. They also attract native species of bugs that help maintain plant health. Without this hedge row, the bugs would go somewhere else and it can be bad for the plants in the area.

Quackgrass!

This invasive grass is called quack grass (Elymus repens). It is native to Europe, Asia, Arctic biome and Northern Africa. It was brought to North America for uses in forages and erosion control. This invasive grass forms nodules that can form new plants if broken. This adaptation allows this weed to recover quickly after being plowed. The best was to remove this is by pulling this by hand to ensure that you get the whole entire root. This is what the root of the grass looks like, since it is very long it competes for the nutrients that is needed for the produce that will be planted in the area. Our group pulled this grass out of two different plant beds.

Organic Soil versus Conventional Farming Practices Soil

In the picture above you will notice the different soils.  The soil on the left was taken from the Organic Farm, while the soil on the right was taken from the conventionally tilled field next to it.  The soil on the left is a lot darker, which means it is higher in Organic Matter.  It also has more pores in it.  The Organic Farm soil on the left is definitely more ideal.

OSU Organic Grower's Club!

The OSU Organic Growers Club offers a wide variety of experience for all University students to enjoy! Many events are held and also tons of volunteers come out and help manage the Organic farm, learn more about Organic farming methods versus conventional, but most importantly gain more knowledge about soil and why it's so important for us! Here is a link to the OSU Organic Growers Club: http://cropandsoil.oregonstate.edu /organic_grower. You can find out more information about the club and any events that they have going on!                                                                   Description by Allee Chadek