Introductory Soil Physics 1.2

[markyscott]

markyscott submitted a new resource:

Introductory Soil Physics - Introduction to the physical properties of soils and substrates.

Here is the second resource developed from the thread "Introductory Soil Physics". It is a document explaining how the important physical properties in soil and substrates combine to control the amount of air and water in the pore space of soils. It discusses what a drainage layer does and how the shape and depth of the container can impact water saturations as well. It expands on some of the concepts discussed...

Read more about this resource...

 

[markyscott]

Now translated into French!

http://lebonsaiautochtone.com/#article/2671

Scottt

 

[markyscott]

markyscott updated Introductory Soil Physics with a new update entry:

Introductory Soil Physics 1.1

I fixed a few typos, added references, made a few clarifying statements, and included a section discussing drainage rates.

Read the rest of this update entry...

 

[jeanluc83]

Great job on the resource. I finely read the full thing. I'll admit that the first version I skimmed.

There are two things that you should consider adding.

First is a title page that at the very least lists you as the author. As it is now it is just a piece of information floating in the either with no indication of where it came from.

Second, I would look into adding some kind of copyright on the work. I'm all for free exchange of information but it could be very discouraging finding someone profiting from your work. I have posted work on instructables where Creative Commons Licenses are used. It might be worth looking into.

 

[markyscott]

Great job on the resource. I finely read the full thing. I'll admit that the first version I skimmed.

There are two things that you should consider adding.

First is a title page that at the very least lists you as the author. As it is now it is just a piece of information floating in the either with no indication of where it came from.

Second, I would look into adding some kind of copyright on the work. I'm all for free exchange of information but it could be very discouraging finding someone profiting from your work. I have posted work on instructables where Creative Commons Licenses are used. It might be worth looking into.

Thanks - good suggestions.

Scott

 

[markyscott]

markyscott updated Introductory Soil Physics with a new update entry:

Introductory Soil Physics 1.2

Here's another small update. I added a title slide, a half a page of text discussing aeration and a new figure. I listed myself as author so you know who to blame.

Read the rest of this update entry...

 

[markyscott]

I've been asked to break this article into a series for publication by ABS. Look for it next year in the ABS Journal!

Scott

 

[markyscott]

I've been asked to break this article into a series for publication by ABS. Look for it next year in the ABS Journal!

Scott

First article in the series is out this month.

Barboza, S.A., 2017, Soil Concepts: Part One - The Inside Scoop, Journal of the American Bonsai Society, V. 51, N. 2, pp. 24-27

Enjoy!

I've also got a completed rough draft for the second article. Look for it later this year.

Scott

 

[milehigh_7]

I've been asked to break this article into a series for publication by ABS. Look for it next year in the ABS Journal!

Scott

Congrats Bro!!!

 

[markyscott]

Second article in the series is out.

Barboza, S.A., 2017, Soil Concepts: Part Two - Between the Grains, Journal of the American Bonsai Society, V. 51, N. 3, pp. 24-29

Enjoy!

I've also got a completed rough draft for the third article. Look for it in the next issue.

Scott

 

[markyscott]

Just submitted the final draft for the third article in the series. Hope you're enjoying them.

Scott

 

[MichaelS]

I don't think that in a practical sense, the coarse layer at the bottom of the pot has much to do with water perching at all. Water perching is negligible in most bonsai mixes and root systems of the vast majority of trees are quite capable of existing in very wet soil as long as it does not remain waterlogged for extended periods which it almost never does. The actual reason it is used is the bottom of the pot is because it's the first place which becomes filled with roots thereby reducing air space in that section of the pot. The coarse layer is an insurance against this especially given the long periods of time the tree must remain in the pot (pines etc) and the rapidity with which some trees (deciduous) fill the pot with roots. Once the roots fill this area it effectively also reduces the pore size and hence will tend to hold more water - less air there. An aeration layer delays this. Of course, if we neglect to include the coarse layer we will end up with roots potentially suffocating themselves as they grow as the amount of water held in the mix is greater in this area. But I don't think we can very effectively use a coarse layer to manipulate the saturation in different levels of the pot enough to make much difference in the performance of the tree.

 

[markyscott]

I don't think that in a practical sense, the coarse layer at the bottom of the pot has much to do with water perching at all.

You've mentioned this before, but I somewhat disagree with you on this point. Introducing a drainage layer will, at least initially, most definitely change the water saturation profile in the soil. How big of an impact it has is dependent on the difference in average pore size between what you're using in your drainage layer and what you're using for substrate. If there's a minimal size difference it, it will have a minimal effect on saturations. The larger the size difference, the bigger impact it will have.

Over time and as the soil gets colonized with roots, the physics get much more complicated and I expect that the impact will be affected.

S

 

[markyscott]

Forgot to mention. The third article in the series is out:

Barboza, S.A., 2017, Soil Concepts: Part Three - The Tao of Watering, Journal of the American Bonsai Society, V. 51, N. 4, pp. 28-33

And the draft of the fourth and final article is complete. Enjoy!

 

[markyscott]

Fourth and final article is coming out. Look for it in the latest ABS Journal:

Barboza, S.A., 2017, Soil Concepts: Part Four - What’s Behind the Curtain?, Journal of the American Bonsai Society, V. 52, N. 1, pp. 20-25

Enjoy!

 

[markyscott]

Fourth and final article is coming out. Look for it in the latest ABS Journal:

Barboza, S.A., 2017, Soil Concepts: Part Four - What’s Behind the Curtain?, Journal of the American Bonsai Society, V. 52, N. 1, pp. 20-25

Enjoy!

Whoops. Wrong year! I’ll get it right by December.

Barboza, S.A., 2018, Soil Concepts: Part Four - What’s Behind the Curtain?, Journal of the American Bonsai Society, V. 52, N. 1, pp. 20-25

 

[markyscott]

Here are links to PDFs of the four ABS article.

Soil Concepts: Part 1 – The Inside Scoop
Soil Concepts: Part 2 – Between the Grains
Soil Concepts: Part 3 – The Tao of Watering
Soil Concepts: Part 4 – What’s Behind the Curtain?

Enjoy!

S

 

[TyroTinker]

Amazing information! Just a quick scan done so far but I’ll be reading this tonight!!
Thank you

 

[markyscott]

markyscott updated Introductory Soil Physics with a new update entry:

Introductory Soil Physics 1.3

Here are links to the series of articles in the ABS Journal I wrote on this subject.

Soil Concetps: Part 1 - The Inside Scoop
Soil Concepts: Part 2 - Between The Grains
Soil Concepts: Part 3 - The Tao of...

Read the rest of this update entry...