Soil Structure: A soil with good - structure has two classes of pores. The large
pores are filled with air, while the small pores are filled with water. Sandy soils have
many large pores while clays have few large pores but many small pores. Therefore,
sandy soils exhibit excellent water and air movement into and through the profile,
while the movement of water and air through clay soils will be much slower.
However, because of their lack of small pore spaces, sandy soils have poor water -
holding capacity. Foot traffic and other forms of pressure exerted on the soil may
eliminate both large and small pores by compacting the soil and destroying its
structure. In such a situation turf - grass growth will be poor because of the limited
pore space available for air (needed by the roots) and water. Through cultural
practices, promoting drainage and adding soil amendments we affect soil structure
which promotes the growth of healthy turf.
pH Levels
The most important effect of pH on plant growth is its influence on nutrient availability. For example, under high pH soils, copper, iron, manganese, and zinc are much less available than at lower pH values. Often, nutrient deficiency symptoms
expressed by plants can be corrected by adjusting soil pH.
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