The binding of water molecules to soil particles.

Taken up and held by a soil particle.

The process by which air is circulated, for example, in soil to provide oxygen for root respiration.

The fertile, upper, outermost layer of soil. Also referred to as the surface horizon or topsoil.

A negatively-charged ion.

Pieces of the outermost layer of trees or other plants.

The subsoil layer that contains much of the original parent material that has been weathered.

A type of charcoal used for agricultural purposes with high nutritional content.

A type of biodegradable plastic made from organic components.

Carbon-based materials, such as sawdust and cardboard, that are a common ingredient used to create compost.

The mass (weight) of a given volume of dry soil and the solid and pore spaces of a soil.

Water that is held in the soil against gravitational pull and is typically available to plants.

A positively charged ion.

The amount of cations that a soil can hold.

Yellowing of plant leaves.

The subsoil layer below the A horizon and B horizon that contains much of the original parent material that has not been weathered.

Easily compacted soil with the finest particle size (less than 0.002mm), which contributes to slow drainage and poor aeration.

A brown fibrous material that is the result of shredding coconut husks.

A property of water in which hydrogen bonding between adjacent water molecules allows the water to be pulled upward through the plant.

Decomposed organic matter that may include animal manures, food wastes, and vermicompost.

A crop planted to add nutrients to the soil and manage erosion.

When nutrients are released by the soil particles to the soil water solution for availability to plants for uptake.

A tool that measures the amount of soluble salts in a sample of soil or media.

The maximum amount of water that a soil can hold against the pull of gravity.

A permeable, inorganic mulch material made from a plastic.

Free water that moves through the soil by the force of gravity.

Organic materials rich in nitrogen, such as leaves, fresh manures, grass clippings, and coffee grounds, used to create compost.

A layer of soil distinguished by properties and characteristics developed through the five factors of soil formation.

An instrument used to measure the percentages of sand, silt, and clay in a sample to determine the soil textural class.

The manner in which water moves through the soil.

An atom or molecule that has lost or gained one or more valence electrons and become a positively charged cation or negatively charged anion.

Soil with a mixture of sand, silt, and clay particles; moderate water-holding capacity; and strong ability to store plant nutrients.

A large pore space in the soil.

Small pore space in soil through which capillary water moves.

Adding a layer of material (organic or inorganic) over the garden soil for aesthetic value, weed suppression, soil temperature moderation, water retention, or as a platform for traffic.

A nonwoven wool or cotton matting that is used to hold down topsoil, prevent erosion, moderate soil temperature, reduce weed activity, and retain moisture for soils.

A fungus that grows in association with the roots of a plant in a symbiotic or mildly pathogenic relationship.

Living and dead organisms.

The material (bedrock, sediment, or organic material) that is weathered to form soil.

A scientist who studies soil.

The study of soils in their natural environment.

Aggregates produced through the binding of sand, silt, and clay particles.

A very lightweight, pea- sized (or smaller) rock that is white and comes from volcanoes.

Paper test strips that change color to indicate the pH level (acidity or alkalinity) of soil.

An impermeable, plastic, inorganic mulch material that is placed over a planting area after a drip irrigation system is installed; commonly used in vegetable production.

The state of having space or gaps.

Using heat to decompose organic material in the absence of oxygen.

An environment where the rocks and soil sit on the landscape.

The process in which a plant gives off carbon dioxide and takes in oxygen.

Bacteria that converts elements such as nitrogen into a usable form that can be taken up by a plant.

Soil that is dominated by a significant proportion of sand and has large-sized particles (2.0 mm to 0.05 mm) and pore spaces.

A situation in which water fills pore spaces in soil or soilless media to the point that there is no room for air in the pores

Small, pellet-sized material of various compositions that is added to soil to increase fertility.

A tool used to pull soil samples from as deep as ten feet.

A sterile mix of natural ingredients used to raise plants in greenhouses, cutting beds, and containers; lighter than soil with more pore spaces; most commonly referred to as potting soil.

The acidity or alkalinity of a soil.

A gap or open area between solid soil components that may be filled with air or water.

A tool used to pull a soil core from the earth.

The binding together of sand, silt, and clay particles into aggregates called peds.

A comprehensive study of the soil of an area.

The proportion of different sizes of mineral particles present in a soil.

The fertile, upper, outermost layer of soil. Also referred to as the A horizon or topsoil.

The fertile, upper, outermost layer of soil. Also referred to as the surface horizon or A horizon.

A lightweight material made of small pieces of mica that readily absorbs water.

The physical, chemical, and biological process that creates soil.