Soil Question - 12/31/14 03:19 AM
I have searched and read many threads about clay and compaction.
My soil is as follows;
"Ap--0 to 6 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; common very fine tubular and very fine irregular pores; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 7 inches thick)
A--6 to 14 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine and few fine tubular pores; strongly acid (pH 5/4); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
BA--14 to 22 inches; strong brown (7.5Y 5/6) clay loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; common dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) coatings on vertical faces of peds; moderate coarse and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bt1--22 to 30 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky and plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine and few fine tubular pores; few distinct dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 8 inches thick)
Bt2--30 to 39 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) clay, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky and plastic; few fine roots; many very fine and few fine tubular pores; common distinct dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 9 inches thick0
2Bct--39 to 49 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) clay, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) and pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; moderate coarse prismatic structure; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; common distinct dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; strongly acid (pH 5.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 10 inches thick)
2C--49 to 60 inches; mottled yellowish brown (10YR 5/6 and 10YR 5/8) gray (10YR 6/1) and light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) clay; massive; very firm, very sticky, very plastic; few very fine tubular pores; few medium slickensides; strongly acid (pH 5.4)."
To my eyes it is heavy clay with little water absorption from the topsoil. We even have problems with trees and plants getting water because of our clay.
Question is, it seems I would still need to add soil to mix with bentonite above the clay I already have correct? It seems to hold water currently in the small test holes I dug and doesn't seem to crack much in the dry heat of summer (Oregon so our temps are generally between 30 in winter and 90ish in summer). Not sure if soil and bentonite mixed and compacted with a sheepshead would still be needed according to our soil info above.
Thanks for any replies or pointing me to similar threads that may answer this.
Thanks in advance,
BRAD
My soil is as follows;
"Ap--0 to 6 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; common very fine tubular and very fine irregular pores; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 7 inches thick)
A--6 to 14 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine and few fine tubular pores; strongly acid (pH 5/4); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
BA--14 to 22 inches; strong brown (7.5Y 5/6) clay loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; common dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) coatings on vertical faces of peds; moderate coarse and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bt1--22 to 30 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky and plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine and few fine tubular pores; few distinct dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 8 inches thick)
Bt2--30 to 39 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) clay, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky and plastic; few fine roots; many very fine and few fine tubular pores; common distinct dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 9 inches thick0
2Bct--39 to 49 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) clay, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) and pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; moderate coarse prismatic structure; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; common distinct dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; strongly acid (pH 5.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 10 inches thick)
2C--49 to 60 inches; mottled yellowish brown (10YR 5/6 and 10YR 5/8) gray (10YR 6/1) and light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) clay; massive; very firm, very sticky, very plastic; few very fine tubular pores; few medium slickensides; strongly acid (pH 5.4)."
To my eyes it is heavy clay with little water absorption from the topsoil. We even have problems with trees and plants getting water because of our clay.
Question is, it seems I would still need to add soil to mix with bentonite above the clay I already have correct? It seems to hold water currently in the small test holes I dug and doesn't seem to crack much in the dry heat of summer (Oregon so our temps are generally between 30 in winter and 90ish in summer). Not sure if soil and bentonite mixed and compacted with a sheepshead would still be needed according to our soil info above.
Thanks for any replies or pointing me to similar threads that may answer this.
Thanks in advance,
BRAD