USDA website with useful soil information

crazy banana · 03-01-2014, 09:42 PM

USDA Websoil survey to find some free interesting information about your soil

Web Soil Survey - Home

Richard · 03-01-2014, 09:51 PM

A word of caution: check the date of the soil survey being used in your area. For example, when I used it to check on my soils in Rancho Penasquitos the survey was telling me that the soil pH was 5.8 -- in 1935. But, after decades of watering with Colorado River water, the soil is actually around pH 7.

Nicolas Naranja · 03-02-2014, 10:52 PM

I have used the website for a few classes during my PhD work. Nothing substitutes digging a hole in the dirt though. I just witnessed this in Gainesville, FL last weekend where we were doing percolation tests. We had one hole that had completely drained 18" of water, and 20 feet away we had another hole that still had 6" of water in the bottom of the hole. There wasn't any apparent change in elevation either.

crazy banana · 03-02-2014, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nicolas Naranja

I have used the website for a few classes during my PhD work. Nothing substitutes digging a hole in the dirt though. I just witnessed this in Gainesville, FL last weekend where we were doing percolation tests. We had one hole that had completely drained 18" of water, and 20 feet away we had another hole that still had 6" of water in the bottom of the hole. There wasn't any apparent change in elevation either.

I agree. The soil survey gives you a basic idea. Other tests should be done.
For planting bananas in the ground pretty much anything and everything will work for the backyard grower to start with. The art is to supplement it with organics and fertilizer, rotating crops if possible to achieve the best results year after year.

Richard · 03-03-2014, 01:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazy banana

... The art is to supplement it with organics and fertilizer, rotating crops if possible to achieve the best results year after year.

I believe there is confusion here between two very different methods: (1) sustaining soil levels of soil nutrients and (2) feeding plants directly. The former is a major source of ground water pollution in the U.S.

03-01-2014, 09:42 PM	#1 (permalink)
crazy banana Location: San Diego Find me on the map! Zone: 9-11 Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 1,641 BananaBucks : 9,992 Feedback: 73 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,021 Times Was Thanked 2,961 Times in 1,115 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1,969 Times	USDA Websoil survey with free information for your area USDA Websoil survey to find some free interesting information about your soil Web Soil Survey - Home Last edited by crazy banana : 03-01-2014 at 09:50 PM. Reason: Wrong link, sorry

03-01-2014, 09:51 PM	#2 (permalink)
Richard un-Retired Richard's Photo Gallery Location: Vista, CA Find me on the map! Zone: USDA 10b Name: Richard Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 9,674 BananaBucks : 506,838 Feedback: 9 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,636 Times Was Thanked 12,543 Times in 4,721 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1,685 Times	Re: USDA website with useful soil information A word of caution: check the date of the soil survey being used in your area. For example, when I used it to check on my soils in Rancho Penasquitos the survey was telling me that the soil pH was 5.8 -- in 1935. But, after decades of watering with Colorado River water, the soil is actually around pH 7. __________________ Back in business at plantsthatproduce.com

03-02-2014, 10:52 PM	#3 (permalink)
Nicolas Naranja Muck bananas Nicolas Naranja 's Photo Gallery Location: Pahokee, FL Find me on the map! Zone: 10 Name: Nick Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 2,217 BananaBucks : 460,397 Feedback: 7 / 100% Said "Thanks" 66 Times Was Thanked 5,663 Times in 1,562 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 7 Times	Re: USDA website with useful soil information I have used the website for a few classes during my PhD work. Nothing substitutes digging a hole in the dirt though. I just witnessed this in Gainesville, FL last weekend where we were doing percolation tests. We had one hole that had completely drained 18" of water, and 20 feet away we had another hole that still had 6" of water in the bottom of the hole. There wasn't any apparent change in elevation either. __________________ Some people go bananas, I went plantains.

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