Growing in the Garden: Outdoor Classrooms for Young Gardeners (4H-905BLDR)
        Day 2, Prepare to Plant

THE VALUE OF SOIL Iowa State University Extension 4-H Youth Development (20 minutes)

CONTENT OBJECTIVE: Understand that good soil is limited in nature and needs to be protected.
LIFE SKILL OBJECTIVES: Respect and responsibility for the land and critical thinking.
INDICATOR: List ways that the soil can be protected in their community.
SUBJECTS: Science, social studies, math
MATERIALS:

• Large apple (one that is easy to cut)
• Knife
• Cutting board

INTRODUCTION
What do the following phrases mean to you?
Soil is the foundation for life on Earth.
Dirt made my lunch.
Soil is the number one natural resource in Iowa.

What do most plants grow in? Most plants depend on soil as their foundation and source of nutrients. Some plants grow in water or other non-soil foundations.

What do most animals eat and how does that relate to the soil? Wild and domestic animals and people depend on the soil to grow plants for food. Even if animals consume other animals, usually at the beginning of the food chain, an animal has eaten plants. So, we can say that dirt, or soil, made most of the foods we eat.

Plants need four natural resources including sun, soil, water, and air to grow. Why is soil the number one natural resource in Iowa? More than 90 percent of the land in Iowa is in some sort of agriculture production because of the rich soil. The rich soil that produces abundant crops and feeds millions of livestock animals makes Iowa one of the top three agriculture producing and exporting states in the United States. As little as 150 years ago, settlers fled to Iowa because the rich soil could grow ample food for their families and the animals they raised.

How valuable is soil to all the plants and animals on planet Earth? Let's find out.

DO
We are going to use an apple to represent planet Earth. We're going to cut the apple into pieces until we find out how much soil is left to grow all the food to feed more than six billion people and all the animals that are in our care.

*Apple Earth

1. I am going to cut the apple into fourths. What does that mean? Cut it into four equal parts. Cut the apple into four lengthwise sections and take away three parts. These three parts represent the portion of the earth covered by water. Where do we find water on planet Earth? Oceans, river, lakes, ponds, streams, etc. In math, what do we call the one piece that is remaining? One quarter or one fourth (1/4). The piece that is left, or one quarter of the Earth, represents land.
   
   
2. I am cutting this quarter in half lengthwise. How many pieces will I have? Two. Cut the apple. I'm removing one of those halves (1/2) because it represents areas of the Earth where plants we eat can't grow because it is too cold, or too wet.
   What places are too hot? Deserts, equator
   What places are too cold? The poles, places where there is frozen ground
   What places, besides bodies of water, are too wet? Swamps
   We cut one fourth of the apple into half, how much of the planet earth do we have left that might grow plants for the food we need? One eighth or 1/8.
   
   
3. Now I am cutting the remaining eighth of the apple, representing the Earth, into fourths or quarters. How many pieces will I have? Four Cut the apple. I am removing three fourths or quarters because they represent areas of Earth where plants can't grow roots into the ground. These surfaces may be called impervious which means incapable of penetrating or being passed through.
   What kinds of things cover the soil on the ground to make the ground impenetrable? Roads, houses, industries, shopping malls, schools, parking lots, mountains, and forests can cover the soil on the ground.
   
   How much of the apple or planet Earth is left to grow crops for the more than six billion people and all the billions of animals in their care? We have one fourth of one eighth, which equals one thirty-second or 1/32 of the planet earth that is left to grow the food to feed all the people and the animals in their care.
   
   But, do we grow plants clear into the core of the earth? No
   
   What do you call the layer of soil where plants grow? Topsoil
   
   
4. Peel the skin off the remaining section. The skin of this little piece represents topsoil, the part of the soil that plants grow in. This is the amount of soil left on our planet Earth to grow all the food to feed all the people and the animals in their care.
   
   Can we divide this little piece, the skin of 1/32 of an apple that represents the topsoil on the Earth - into over 6 billion pieces?

(*Apple Earth was adapted from Heimlich, Joseph, James Hollyer and Bill Owen. "Apple Earth." Cycling Back to Nature, Soils Alive! Washington, D.C.: National 4-H Council. 4H-326)

REFLECT
Is there very much topsoil left on planet Earth to grow all our food? No

Do you think Iowa shares a large portion of that valuable topsoil? Yes, the rich topsoil in Iowa makes it a major state to grow food to feed billions of people and animals here and around the world.

What does that mean we should do about this valuable resource? Be responsible, take care of the soil, keep it healthy so that it can grow food for many more generations.

What do people do on Iowa's rich soil? (Make a list on the board.) People grow or manage and harvest these things that depend on the land.

1. Grain crops such as corn, soybeans, alfalfa hay, and oats. In fact, Iowa ranks number one or two in corn and soybean production.
2. Livestock such as pigs, egg-laying hens, beef cattle, dairy cows, sheep, and turkey. Iowa is a top livestock producing state. The animals eat the grain grown in Iowa and their manure is worked back in the soil as a nutrient to feed the plants.
3. Orchards, Christmas trees, nursery stock, berries, pumpkins, vegetables, flowers, and herbs.
4. Pastures, prairies, roadsides, waterways, lawns, golf coarses, and other places where grasses grow.
5. Forests and other places where trees are grown for profit
6. Horses, dogs, cats, goats, geese, buffalo, elk, ostrich, emu and other domestic animals eat food that started with the land.
7. Wild animals such as deer, raccoons, squirrels, rabbits, skunks, pheasants, wild turkeys, Canada geese, and mice, depend on food grown from the soil, much of which comes from agriculture production.
8. Rocks and minerals such as limestone and sand and gravel.

People put these things above or below the soil.

1. Roads, parking lots, sidewalks, (impervious surfaces.)
2. Drainage tiles, water pipes, utility lines under the soil.
3. Garbage.
4. Houses, business offices, factories, schools, shopping malls, hospitals, government offices, and other buildings.
5. Household, industrial, and agricultural chemicals; organic matter; and solid waste.
6. Recreational places such as amusement parks, race tracks, and athletic and cultural centers.

Does our list indicate that we sometimes don't use our soil very wisely? Give examples.

APPLY
What are some examples of how people, including you, can protect and conserve the soil?
Plant grass, trees, shrubs, flowers, vegetables, grains as cover crops to prevent the wind from blowing away soil and to put roots in the ground to prevent water from washing away soil. Don't pollute the ground with garbage or too many chemicals or fertilizers. Add nutrients back to the soil by using crop rotation, adding commercial fertilizers or organic nutrients such as animal waste, or by composting. Build on locations that is not good crop land.

What evidence is there that the soil is considered valuable near where you live?
The price of land is very expensive. (You may want to look in newspapers for the price of lots in your community or the value of farmland in your county.) People may grow lots of crops, gardens, flowers, grass, trees, and shrubs. You may smell manure that has been spread on the fields nearby. You see corn growing in a field one year and soybeans the next (an example of crop rotation where soybeans put nutrients back in the field.) You see different methods of planting crops around hills and using grass or planting strips in the fields. You have garden clubs and a large Master Gardening group in town. There are articles in the local newspapers and programs on the radio about the soil and growing plants. Your community depends on agricultural crops such as herbs, tree fruits, vegetables, as well as grain to maintain a healthy local economy.

What evidence is there that the soil is not considered valuable near where you live?
Much of the land is covered with concrete. You find bare spaces in lawns, parks, around businesses or schools. Garbage is stored on the land. People or businesses dump chemicals and non-degradable wastes on the ground. People don't use farming and gardening methods such as crop rotation, contour farming, and terracing to conserve and protect the soil.

What are you going to do to protect and conserve the small amount of topsoil left to grow all the plants to feed the more than 6 billion people and all the animals in their care?

SIZE UP THE SOIL

IowaStateUniversity
Extension 4-H Youth Development
(40 minutes, divided in two days)

CONTENT OBJECTIVES: Understand that there are different kinds of soil, which affects the ability to grow plants.

LIFE SKILL OBJECTIVES: Learning to learn using senses to sort and classify, critical thinking

INDICATOR: Correctly identify the kind of soil from a sample near school or home and explain plant life at the location where the soil sample was taken.

MATERIALS:  

• Cleaned out spaghetti sauce, peanut butter, mayonnaise, ice tea or any jar that is at least quart-sized and has a lid.
• Masking tape
• Permanent marker
• Trowel
• Soil (see Apply)
• Water (see Apply)
• Paper and pencil (one per student)

INTRODUCTION

What do the following places all have in common: football, baseball, and soccer fields; corn and soybean fields; vegetable and flower gardens; parks; yards; golf courses; orchards; Christmas tree farms; roadside ditches; forests; prairies; and potted plants in the greenhouse?They all are places that we find plants growing out of the soil.

How did the soil get there? Soil is a natural resource, people don’t make soil and put it on the ground. In some cases, people add healthy soil on top of existing soil in order to grow healthier plants.

How does the soil get the way it is? Soil starts as large rocks. After thousands of years of rain, hot and cold temperatures, and sunlight, the rocks break apart into smaller pieces. As they continue to weather and break down, wind and water wash the rock parts away, plants grow and die in the tiny rocks, and after thousands of years, the rocks become the soil we have today.

We are going to look at the tiny rock or mineral particles that make up the soil.

DO and REFLECT
Mineral particles are sorted according to size. The largest mineral particle is sand.
Where can you find sand? On the beach, in a sandbox, at the lumberyard and desert areas.

If you tried to plant something in sand, what would happen and why? A seed planted in sand may sprout and begin to grow, however, it may not do very well because there would be very few nutrients in the sand and it does not hold water well enough to support plants that don’t tolerate dry conditions.

What kind of plants can survive in sand?  Cacti.(Palm trees live on beaches because there is a shallow water table)

If you were a teeny tiny organism, you would see that there are lots of open “windows” between each particle of sand. These open spaces are called “pore spaces.” You can pour water right through the pore spaces of sand.

The medium-sized particle is called silt.
Where can you find silt? Silt is found along riverbanks. If it’s dry enough, it will easily blow around. The Loess Hills in western Iowa are made from silt blown in from the Missouri River valley. (You may want to visit a website on the Loess Hills with your students.  See http://www.nfinity.com/~exile/loesspg.htm)

The smallest particle is called clay.
Where can you find clay? New housing developments or areas of the ground that have been dug up. The clay is usually below the top soil. Clay is used for pottery and bricks.
If you tried to plant something in clay, what would happen and why? The clay particles are so tiny that they are really close to one another, leaving little or no pore spaces between them. This restricts the amount of oxygen available to the plants’ roots. It also doesn’t allow good water penetration and when it does, all the pore spaces can be filled with water, leaving no space for air.

Most plants won’t grow healthy and strong in just one type of soil. That is why the best soil mixture is called loam. Loam is a combination of equal parts of sand, silt, and clay. Loam gives structure and stability to the soil. It provides a good balance that holds some water yet allows some open pores for air.

Let’s see how sand, silt and clay works in soil.

Identify one volunteer to be a seed and two volunteers to be water. Ask the rest of the students to count off around the room as sand, silt, or clay. Find a large space at one side of the room, in the hallway, gym, or outdoors. Have all the students meet in the space. Plant the seed in the back of the room. Have the students representing clay form lines representing the ground in front of the seed. Have them stand close together, shoulders touching.

Have the students representing silt to form another couple lines in front of the layers of clay. Ask them to mover their hands half-way out from their bodies and stand with the back of their hands touching.

Have the students representing clay form the front couple lines. Ask them to spread their arms out, touching each others shoulders.

Tell everyone to hold their positions and ask them to yell out what sized soil particle they represent.

Have the two students representing water to stand in front of the lines of soil particles. Tell them that it is their job to move through the pore spaces of the soil particle to reach the seed that is waiting to grow. Have them proceed between soil particles.

Did the seed get watered? No
What happened? The water couldn’t get through the clay.
What soil particles were the easiest to move through? Sand.
Which soil particles were the hardest to mover through? Clay.

Put the seed at the other end of the lines of soil particles and have the water representatives try to move through the clay first.

What happened?

Next, tell everyone to remember what size particle they represent and to mix up the lines. Remember how they stood with their arms to their sides, half-way out, or straight out touching the next person’s shoulder. Now have them work with their new neighbor and stand as they did in the previous line.

What kind of soil do you represent now? Loam, a mixture of sand, silt, and clay.

Have the students representing water try to reach the seed by going through the loam.

What happened?

Did the water reach the seed?

Will the seed probably grow?

What is the best soil mixture for growing plants?  Loam
Why? The sizes of soil particles are mixed up so that the water can reach the seed and be absorbed.

APPLY Soil Sample Mud Shake Ask various students to help with the different steps of the following mud shake activity.

1. Put two long pieces of masking tape vertically (from top to bottom) on the jar.
2. Take the jar, lid, trowel, and permanent marker to a place on your school ground where you might like to examine the soil. Ask the students what they see growing in the area. Ask one of the students to record your location and what is growing there on one of the pieces of masking tape.
3. Clear away the debris and plant materials laying on the top of the soil. Using the trowel, dig up enough soil to fill at least half of your jar.
4. Take the students and the jar back into the classroom. Fill the jar with water, screw on the lid tightly, and shake the jar. Two or three students can take turns shaking the jar until the soil and water are blended together.
5. Explain that the soil particles will settle into three layers.

   What will the layers be? Sand, silt, and clay

   Have them draw the jar on a piece of paper and make lines where they think the three layers will fall. Then have them label the three layers by guessing which will be on the top and the bottom.

   Let the jar set on a counter, undisturbed, for three days.

6. Have everyone take a look at the jar while it sits on the counter. Ask them if they can identify the layers of soil particles in the jar. On the blank strip of masking tape, have someone mark the division lines between the layers.

   Which size particle has fallen to the bottom of the soil sample? Sand Why? It is the largest and heaviest particle. Gravity has pulled it down.
   Which size particle is in the middle layer? Silt Why? It is the medium-sized particle.
   Which size particle is forming the top layer? Clay Why? It is the smallest particle. 
   What particles float to the top?  Organic materials.

   Write the name or each layer on the masking tape.

7. Is this soil a loam soil? What makes it a loam soil? It has all three sized particles.

   Is there an equal amount of each of the layers?

   What layer is the largest or the smallest?

   Would this be a good soil to plant things in? Why or why not?

   What was growing where you found the sample? Why do you think these things were growing or not growing there?

   What might you do to make the soil in that area better?

   Do you want to make it better?

   How can you carry out a plan to make it better?

TEST AND FEED THE SOIL
Iowa State University
Extension 4-H Youth Development
(40 minutes, divided in two days)

CONTENT OBJECTIVE: Conduct a soil test and determine what needs to be done to increase the nutrient level in the soil.
LIFE SKILL OBJECTIVES: Critical thinking, problem solving, decision making
INDICATOR: Successfully complete a soil test and make decisions regarding fertilizing the soil in different situations.
MATERIALS:

• 2 quart-sized Ziplock plastic bags
• Clean one- or two-gallon bucket
• Trowel
• Permanent marker
• Soil Sample Information Sheet for Horticulture Crops (Download the ISU Extension Publication from http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/ST11.pdf)

INTRODUCTION
How do you feel when you haven't eaten for a while? You may feel tired, have no energy, and have a stomachache or headache.
What happens to your energy and how does that affect your physical and mental activity? Your body has used up the food sources that produce energy so you may feel like you don't want to move much or do much activity. Because your body lacks nutrients and you feel hungry, it's harder to concentrate, remember, make good decisions, and so on.
What do you do to feel better and get more energy? Eat, sleep.
What are some examples of foods that make you feel better?

When we feel or see symptoms that show something is wrong we assess the situation and determine what needs to be done.

It's pretty easy to tell when plants are thirsty, but can plants get hungry, too? Yes How can you tell when a plant is hungry? It is not growing well or it shows abnormal symptoms that are not caused by insects or diseases.

Where do plants get nutrients such as vitamins and minerals? From the soil. Water helps deliver the nutrients into the roots, up the stems, and into the leaves.

What are some places where it would be particularly important to make sure the soil contains enough nutrients to grow healthy plants? Farm fields, gardens, lawns, golf courses, and even soil in pots in greenhouses.

How can farmers and gardeners find out if the soil is fertile enough, or contains enough nutrients to grow healthy plants? He/she has the soil tested.

What would happen if farmers and gardeners thought that "if a little does some good, a lot will do a lot of good" and applied too much fertilizer to the soil? It may burn the plants' roots and stunt its growth or kill the plants.

Many land-grant universities and several private laboratories test soil for its nutrient content or nutrient availability to plants. Iowa State University's Soil Testing Laboratory will test soil for several nutrients. The standard test determines the phosphorus and potassium needs of the soil as well as the soil pH. The cost of this test is $7.00 per sample. Download the ISU Extension Publication, Soil Sample Information Sheet for Horticulture Crops, from the internet http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/ST11.pdf

DO
When can you conduct a soil test?
Soil tests can be done anytime the ground isn't frozen. The best time however is in the fall, after the crops have been harvested. This also gives gardeners and farmers plenty of time to receive the test results and determine their fertilizer needs. If samples are taken in the spring, it may take longer to get the results back and may delay planting time.

Where could we take a soil test? You need to select two or three locations to take soil samples. Think about where you might want to help plants grow better. Possibilities around the schoolyard could include bare spots in the lawn, around trees, under shrubs, next to the building, or in gardens.

Take the class outside on the school ground with two quart-sized Ziplock plastic bags, a clean one- or two-gallon bucket, a trowel, and a permanent marker. Go to two or three of the places you discussed in the classroom. Scrape away any debris, such as twigs, dead grass, mulch or leaves. Using the trowel, dig down 3 inches below the sod in lawns, 12 inches for trees and shrubs, and 6 inches for gardens. Remove a trowel full of soil and put it in the bucket. Go to about ten nearby locations in the same area, such as a different place in the lawn, and get other samples. Mix them together in the bucket. Remove any roots, twigs or leaves that may have been mixed in.

Put about 1 cup of the soil in a Ziplock bag and seal it. Discard the extra soil back where you took a sample. Label the bag as to the location where the samples were taken. This will be one sample.

You may want to take another sample from another part of the school ground. Label it sample 2 and write where it was taken.

Go back to the classroom and complete the soil sample information sheet. Send the samples and $7 per sample to the Iowa State University Soil Testing Laboratory. You should receive the soil test results within two weeks.

REFLECT
Why did we take soil from more than one area for our sample? To get a good representation of the soil in the area we are sampling, whether it be a lawn, under a tree, or in a cornfield.

Why is it a good idea to take soil samples in the late fall or before the ground is frozen? The testing labs are not as busy and you will get the results back faster.

Will the soil fertility level change during the winter? If any changes occur, they will be very minimal. The only nutrient that would change is nitrogen because it is very mobile in the soil. That is why the standard soil test does not test for nitrogen content.

Based on the plant life near where you took the samples, what do you think we'll find out from the test? You may want to have them record their guesses on a separate piece of paper to refer back to when the tests are returned. This is a very open question with several potential responses reflecting the knowledge level and experiences of the students.

COMPLETE THE REST OF THIS LESSON ONCE THE TEST RESULTS ARE RETURNED.

When the soil test results are returned, share it with the class as an overhead or write the results on the board.

What do these results show us?

Was the soil high or low in available phosphorus?

Was potassium available?

What are phosphorus and potassium? Nutrients

How do plants use nutrients? Phosphorous, potassium, and nitrogen are three vital nutrients for plant growth. They are used in large quantities by plants, and need to be replenished on a regular basis. Nitrogen stimulates leaf growth, phosphorus is important for fruits and flowers, and potassium or potash is necessary for good root growth. The plants roots absorb nutrients from the soil and they are transported up the stem and to the leaves where the food-making process called photosynthesis takes place.

What does soil fertility mean? Soil fertility refers to the abundance of nutrient resources available in the soil that make it productive or able to nourish plants.

Does the soil on the school ground have different fertility levels based on what is growing there?

>What is fertilizer? It is any material that is put on the soil to improve the quality or quantity of plant growth.

What fertilizer recommendations were given for the soil?

What should we do with this information? You could share it with the school grounds keeper, offer to amend the soil as a classroom project, repeat the test at home, etc.

APPLY
There are many types of commercial synthetic fertilizers available. They are different based on the different concentrations of the nutrients in the mix. They are formulated differently based on the fertility needs of various plants. A "complete analysis" fertilizer contains nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). Write N=nitrogen, P=phosphorus, and K=potassium on the board.

There are various formulations that are labeled with three numbers, such as 5-10-5. The first number represents the percentage of nitrogen, the second number is the phosphate content, and the third is the potash content. The nutrients, phosphorus and potassium, are formulated for the fertilizer as phosphate and potash.

Remember that nitrogen stimulates leaf growth, phosphorus is important for fruits and flowers, and potassium or potash is necessary for good root growth.

What nutrient, nitrogen, phosphorus, or potash, is more important for lawn fertilizer applied in the summer? Nitrogen for a dark green lawn.
What would happen if you used that same fertilizer for your tomato plants? It would produce lots of lush green foliage growth and very few fruits and flowers.

What nutrient is more important for lawn fertilizer applied in the fall? Higher in potash for a strong root system to carry the grass through the winter.

The amount of complete analysis fertilizer to apply on a vegetable and flower garden depends on the analysis of the fertilizer. The following is a general recommendation for vegetable and flower gardens:

For every 100 square feet of garden space:

• 2 lbs. 20-20-20
• 3 lbs. 10-10-10
• 4 lbs. 5-10-5

If 2 cups of fertilizer weighs 1 pound, how many cups of 10-10-10 fertilizer will you need for a 300 square foot garden? 18 cups

For more information, download the following publications from Iowa State University Extension: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/pubs/ga.htm

Pm 1487 Modifying Soils in Lawns and Gardens
Pm-1680 Nonchemical Alternatives for the Home Lawn

Besides using commercial, manufactured, or mined fertilizers called inorganic fertilizers, what other fertilizers can gardeners and farmers use to replace soil nutrients? Organic fertilizers can be used including animal waste or manure and other natural by-products such as blood or bone meal. The mineral or nutrient content, focusing on N. P. K. is the same. Organic fertilizers take more time to break down into a form that plants can use, so it takes longer to see the affects from them.

If you were a livestock farmer, which fertilizer would you probably use and why? Manure, because it is available, natural, and cost-efficient. Research shows that manure can increase the quality of the soil by providing needed nutrients and improving the water- and nutrient- holding capacity therefore improving crop production. By using a good nutrient management plan, application of manure on farmland can be done without imposing an environmental risk. (J.L. Hatfield. Value of Manure as a Soil Resource: Need to Preserve Manure Nutrients. USDA-ARS National Soil Tilth Laboratory, Ames, Iowa)

If you were a gardener, could you use animal waste and byproducts? Yes, lawn and garden stores, neighbors, local farmers, may sell or provide composted animal waste or byproducts to use on lawns and gardens.

Do you think farmers and gardeners test the soil before spreading manure? Yes Why do farmers and gardeners need to test the soil before spreading manure? If they spread too little or too much, organic fertilizers like manure can cause plant damage and loss of revenue to farmers and gardeners.