Understanding Soils 1

Understanding Soils
Soil components and dynamics can seem complex, however, soil is a critical element to understand if you want to grow nutritious food, successful plants, vibrant trees and healthy livestock.  

2020 Dates and topics: To make tackling this large subject easy, we’ve created four sessions. The physical properties of soil are covered over two sessions, 18 July and 29 August: physical components of soil, pH testing, soil texture, structure, soil profiles, water movement and topography.  In the August session, we go through the fantastically informative but low-tech Visual Soils Assessment tool.

During session 3 on 17 October, we get into soil chemistry, including mineral deficiencies and fertilisers, with an in-depth look at vermiculture (worm farms) and Actively Aerated Compost Tea.  We wrap up our soils study with session four on 5 December covering soil biology and organic fertiliser, with a practical session to build a hot compost

Learning soils

Soil “beginners” are welcome as well as those of you who would like a “soil refresher” to fill in any gaps in your knowledge.  

If you want to cut down on buying and hauling soil amendments, spending hours weeding, hoeing, and digging, this comprehensive group sessions will make all the difference in helping you get your soils into a healthy, sustainable cycle.  

This is also an excellent opportunity to learn about your specific soil by bringing along samples from your property. If you have a soil test you can bring that along too. By the end of session three,  you’ll know what all those chemical abbreviations and numbers actually mean and what you might do about them! 

Assessing the soil you bring from home

Practical activities will be spread throughout the sessions, including soil  and pH testing, Visual Soil Assessment, earth-worm counts, making hot compost and compost tea, and caring for a worm bin.

More detail on topics covered:

• Why soil texture matters, and how to identify soil types easily.
• Reading the soil profile.
• Monitoring the health of the soil.
• Using S-Map to identify NZ mapped soil types to be able to research different soils without a sample or test.
• How to take a soil test sample, understanding soil test results and how to interpret and take appropriate actions.
• The Soil Food Web– what is it, how to support it and enhance plant health and production.
• pH scale. Testing, interpretation and subsequent actions.
• What soil can offer to climate change – storing carbon in the soil.
• Humus, the essential ingredient.
• Importance of covered soil, minimising digging and soil disturbance.
• Soil amendments: compost, vermicast, compost teas, ocean products.
• If you are interested in soil fertility, days 3 & 4 are the key. 

Soil creatures

Laptops will be useful for the S-Map session, but not essential for each student.  

Each session is designed to stand alone so you are welcome to come to any one session that appeals to you.  However, there will be some “building upon what’s come before” and we recommend attending all four sessions.

Delivery and Tuition: As with all our Gardening Essentials sessions, you are welcome to attend online or face to face at our Tauranga farm. The tuition is the same for online and face to face sessions.  Until 31 July 2020, tuition is discounted to $59.95 per session (a 30% reduction for these recessionary times).  

Online Schedule: Receive the video presentation link and handouts seven days before your session and watch it during the week.  Attend a live Zoom session from 9:30 – 11:30am with the tutor to learn your skills and get your questions answered. Two days later, receive the recording of the Zoom session to review.

Experience soil samples from all over NZ

Face to Face Schedule: Arrive at our Tauranga farm at 9:30am to watch the presentation video together. Have lunch about 12, then have your interactive session with Kazel until 2:30pm.  Just like the online attendees, you will also receive the links to watch the video online, download the handout, and the links to the recording of the interactive session. This covers you in case you are unwell, or have a change of schedule, or simply want to review the material multiple times.