Assessing Soil Quality

Aug 23, 2020 | Resources

So you’re ready to start a new project? It’s time to start digging and planting, right? Wrong! There are a few steps you have to take before you can start your project, and one of those things is assessing soil quality.

 

Soil assessment and soil correction—what are they?

Soil assessment is the acting of matching the quality of the soil and its properties to the specific use of the soil. This is most often practiced for agricultural land that will be used to grow crops, but there are other industries where soil assessment is required too.

 

Soil correction is the process of cleaning, clearing, removing, and/or remediating soil that is not suitable for the property or industry that is being developed. If, after a soil assessment, the soil properties do not meet the requirements of what the land will be used for, it will need to be corrected.

 

How is it measured?

It is difficult to specifically measure the quality of the soil, so indicators of soil health are used. Experts measure how well the soil is performing using chemical, biological, and physical indicators. Both qualitative or quantitative measures can be used. Measurements are taken at different times and observed for patterns. One soil health is determined, the process of correcting the soil can begin.

 

How is it corrected?

Soil can be corrected using a variety of methods. Oftentimes, the soil pH (the soil’s acidity or alkalinity) needs to be adjusted. Professionals may lime the soil to neutralize its acidity and make it suitable for the use of the land. On the end of the spectrum, the acidity of the soil may need to be raised to suit the crops being grown. Is soil has been contaminated, it may need to be removed entirely.

 

Why?

The process of determining a soil’s health and then correcting it is an important process because crops will not grow if the soil is not suitable. Depending on how acidic or alkaline the soil is, plants may not be able to absorb the nutrients they need.

 

 

At Landwehr Construction based in St. Cloud, Minnesota, we are happy to work on your soil assessment and soil correction projects.