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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Florence, South Carolina » Coastal Plain Soil, Water and Plant Conservation Research » Docs » Outreach_2023 » Revised_Activities » Are All Soils Created Equal Activity

Activity:

Are All Soils Created Equal?

Purpose:

 

To demonstrate the natural fertility rates of three main soil types.

Materials:

 

sand, *clay, potting soil samples, seeds, 3 small 5oz plastic drinking cups

*(If you live in the Coastal Plains of South Carolina, clay will be found as the second layer of soil in most yards after the sandy soil.)

 Procedures:
 
 
 

 

1. Fill the three cups each with the same amount of soil sample and label with soil type.

2. Plant at least four seeds in each soil sample at exactly the same depth. (If your seeds are small, plant at a shallow depth. If your seeds are large, they need to be planted deeper.)

Image of potting soil and clay samples


 
 
 
 

 

3. Water each with the same amount of water.

4. Place the samples in a location that receives the same amount of sunlight.

5. Cover each sample with a plastic bag to prevent evaporation.

6. Observe the samples daily for 10 days and record your observations in a table.

 

    
  Day
Soil Type Observations 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Sand Emergence? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
  Growth? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
  Length of Plant (cm) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Clay Emergence? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
  Growth? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
  Length of Plant (cm) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Potting Soil Emergence? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
  Growth? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
  Length of Plant(cm) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

 

To Ponder...
 
 
 
 

 

 

1. Which soil supported growth the best based upon first day of emergence, first day of growth, and final length of plant? Why?