Soil and the Gardens

Munsell Soil Color Chart-  In order to determine the Value and Chroma of your soil sample, just place the soil underneath the given holes provided in the booklet and read the value number, then the Chroma number as shown below.

Munsell's Soil Color Chart Book

How to Read Munsell's Soil Color Chart by Value and Chroma

Soil Texture Diagram-  This flow chart can help you determine what type of soil you have.  The chart asks you yes or no questions about the feel and other characteristics about the soil.  For example, if the soil stains the fingers, you go onto the questions "Is it difficult to rolls the soil into a ball?" and so on.

Soil Texture Flow Chart

Macon Roots is an organizations recently established to promote a sustainable food system in the area (Macon and Middle Georgia).  Their mission is to "promote a diverse, sustainable, and local food system for Middle Georgia."

The Community Gardens in Macon use raised beds to protect their beautifully growing plants from potential metal poisons that m ay have seeped into the soil before a garden was grown there.  Lead can get into soil from many sources including: gasoline, lead dust in the air, flaking paint, leaded plumbing (lead in water), lead based paints in houses, and dust from the pets and the floor.  Therefore, garden soils should be tested for contamination.  If the plants that have been removed for digestion, then they should be tested and washed in case of external lead on produce leaves.

Garden from Community Gardens in Macon (MaconRoots.org)