Teaching Organic Farming & Gardening

Soils & Soil Physical Properties

Unit 2.1 | Part 2 – 31

COLOR BOOK EXAMPLE

Lecture 2 Reference: A 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

Lecture 2 Reference: A 11 c) i (See t Figure 2.7)

MATERIALS

• 4 jars or beakers, about 2 cup size


• 2 2-liter plastic soda bottles


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


• Fine gravel, < 1/4 inch, about 2 cups


• Sand, about 2 cups


• Clay, dry and ground, about 2 cups


• 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.

Instructor’s Supplemental Demonstrations & Examples

Illustration by José Miguel Mayo

t Figure 2.7, Permeability Demonstration