Teaching Organic Farming and Gardening

Soil Physical Properties

Unit 2.1 | 35

color Book exaMPle

Detailed    Lecture Outline Reference:  C   6   a)

PUrPOSE

To  show    how soil    color   is  described

MATErIAlS

Munsell or  Earth   Colors  soil    color   charts

METhODS

Show    how the color   charts  and Munsell color   

notation    are used.

PerMeaBIlItY DeMonstratIon

Detailed    Lecture Outline Reference:  C   11  c)  i

MATErIAlS

• 4 jars or beakers, about 2 cup size

• 2 2-liter plastic soda bottles

• Coarse gravel, rounded is better, 1/2–1inch,

about 1 cup

• Fine gravel, < 1/4 inch, about 1 pint

• Sand, about 1 pint

• Clay, dry and ground, about 1 pint

• Water

METhODS

1.   Cut    the bottoms out of  the soda    bottles.

2.   Invert the bottles into    two of  the jars    to  make    

funnels.    Label   one “Sand”  and the other   

“Clay”.

3.   Place  the coarse  gravel  into    the bottom  of  the 

funnels,    enough  to  plug    the holes   so  that    the fine    

gravel  won’t   go  through.

4.   Cover  the coarse  gravel  with    about   a   1   inch    

thick   layer   of  fine    gravel.

5.   Place  the sand    and clay    into    the appropriate 

funnels.    You want    a   layer   about   2–3 inches  

thick.

6.   Fill   the other   jars    with    about   3/4 to  1   cup of  

water   each.

7.   Using  both    hands,  pour    the water   into    the 

funnels at  the same    time    and rate.

8.   See    which   soil    the water   passes  through faster.

Demonstrations

Sand Clay

2 liter plastic

pop bottle

Fine gravel

Coarse gravel

Jar