The document summarizes a class about landscape sustainability and the role of soil. The class discussed how a sustainable garden maximizes environmental and human benefits for current and future generations. It also covered how healthy soil is important for absorbing water, storing carbon, providing habitat and nutrients to support plant growth. The class included activities to determine soil texture, structure and pH, as well as an assignment for students to assess sites by creating a basemap and identifying soil-related features.

1. Class One: Landscape for Life and the Role of Soil in a
Sustainable Garden
Shanna Ciano & Ginny Frederick
February 18, 2014
Cibolo Nature Center & Farm
Location

2. Instructor
Date

3. Sustainability & Conservation
a dynamic balance

4. Class Discussion:
What is a Sustainable Garden?

5. A sustainable garden maximizes environmental
and human health benefits for current and future
generations.

6. What is the ultimate objective of a
sustainable landscape?
A beautiful
landscape that
protects or
restores the
benefits nature
provides to
humans that are
essential to our
everyday life.

7. Provide Clean Air and Clean Water

8. Build Healthy and Fertile Soil

9. Capture and Stores Water

10. Control Erosion and Sediment Runoff

11. Mitigate the Urban Heat Island

12. Provide Habitat

13. Support Human Health and Well-Being

14. Why is sustainability important?
The human population has
grown exponentially over
the last hundred years,
increasing from 1.6 to 7
billion
By the year 2030, humanity
will need the capacity of
two Earths to absorb CO2
waste and keep up with
natural resource
consumption (WWF 2010).

15. Conventional vs. Sustainable
Requires regular application of potable
water.
Minimizes potable water use in the garden.

16. Conventional Landscape Sustainable Landscape
Garden trimmings are
Garden trimmings are
disposed of in the landfill. composted and/or used as
mulch.

17. Conventional Landscape
Fertilizers are needed to
support healthy plant
growth.
Sustainable Landscape
The natural soil food web
and on-site organic matter
promote healthy plant
growth.

18. Conventional Landscape Sustainable Landscape
The reuse of site
Landscapes are designed
structures or materials at to minimize waste.
the end of a project life is
not considered.

19. Conventional Landscape
The layout and design of
landscapes are “cookie
cutter” configurations
Sustainable Landscape
Design solutions are
unique to the area and
building site.

20. Sustainability Requires Stewardship
The Mission Reach: 2010
The Mission Reach: 2025

21. Class Discussion
• How can you be a good
steward of your home
garden?
• How can you be a good
steward of landscapes in
your community?

22. Questions or Comments

23. Class Break

24. Lesson 1.2:
The Role of Soil in a Sustainable Garden

25. What is Soil?
• Weathered rock
• Mineral particles
• Organic matter
• living
• previously living

26. The Role of Soil in a Sustainable Garden
• Absorbs rainfall and mitigates flooding
• Removes pollutants and cleanses water
• Stores water for plants, wildlife and people
• Provides nutrients and oxygen for plants
• Stores atmospheric carbon
• Provides habitat for a variety of microbes, plants
and animals

27. Conventional vs. Sustainable
The Importance of Soil

28. Soil: a living, healthy ecosystem

29. Soil can easily be damaged
by everyday activities

30. Soil Structure: the key to healthy soil
How readily soil particles cling together to form aggregates.
The key to good structure is organic matter and
thriving communities of soil organisms.

31. Soil Compaction
Weight from a single intense force or small repeated forces pushes soil
particles together causing them to compact .
Compacted soils:
• Contribute to erosion and runoff
• Restrict plant growth
• Limit the soil’s ability to absorb
water
• Decrease the soil’s biological
activity

32. Common Causes of Soil Compaction
Construction and
maintenance equipment

33. Common Causes of Soil Compaction
Repeated pedestrian and
animal traffic

34. Common Causes of Soil Compaction
Rainfall on bare soils

35. Common Causes of Soil Compaction
Continually removing
organic matter such as
leaves or lawn clippings
from the landscape

36. Common Causes of Soil Compaction
Walking on, compressing
or digging in soil while wet

37. Common Causes of Soil Compaction
Repeated tillage

38. Unhealthy Landscape
Soils are exposed to
sunlight, rain and wind
Sustainable Landscape
Soils are protected by
vegetation and mulch

39. Class Activity
How to determine soil texture and structurestructure
How to determine soil texture and

40. Common Soil Characteristics for the
Region

41. Soil Types in Boerne
Shanna’s House: North Boerne
8—Doss silty clay,
Typical profile
0 to 17 inches: Silty clay
17 to 80 inches: Bedrock
Ginny’s house : East of Boerne
10—Eckrant-Comfort association
Typical profile
0 to 5 inches: Stony clay
5 to 40 inches: Bedrock

42. Soil Types in Boerne
Herff Farm, Boerne
16—Oakalla silty clay loam
Typical profile
0 to 62 inches: Silty clay loam

43. Class Activity:
How to Determine your Soil Type
• Texture
• Structure
• pH

44. Class Activity
Class Activity
How to determine soil texture and structure
How to determine soil texture and structure

45. Class Activity
Class Activity
How to determine soil texture and structure
How to determine soil texture and structure

46. Class Activity
Class Activity
How to determine soil texture and structure
How to determine soil texture and structure

47. Soil pH
Measure of the acidity or alkalinity of the soil
Soil pH affects:
• The availability of nutrients and minerals to plants
• Activity of soil microorganisms

48. How to Determine your Soil pH
• Home test kits
• University
extension labs
• Commercial labs

49. Site Assessment

50. Class Assignment
Site Assessment
• Create a basemap
• Footprint of
buildings and all
paved surfaces
• Utility lines
• North arrow
• Scale

51. Class Assignment
Site Assessment
• Soil
• Areas of erosion
and compaction
• Areas that are
commonly wet
• Exposed rock
• Shallow soils
• Areas where the
soil abruptly
changes texture
and structure

52. Class Wrap-Up
Closing questions or comments