Many summer residents wonder why the earth turns white in the greenhouse, because they take care of it so carefully, fertilize, water and weed. So what is the reason for the greening of the earth, mold and white bloom?
The most common causes are excessive soil moisture, pests and improper care.
The soil is sick for several reasons:
- If you water the soil endlessly.
- With increased acidity of the soil.
- With poor ventilation of the greenhouse or its absence at all, as a result of which the humidity in the room rises.
- If you add a lot of fertilizer to the ground.
These reasons can be combined with each other.
Insect pests and diseases
Very often, pests lay their larvae in the soil where they are. for a long time. If this problem is not dealt with, then the number of harmful larvae in the soil will only increase. And some conditions can contribute to this, for example, heating the soil during the cold season, etc.
The most common pests include:
- wireworms,
- cabbage flies,
- bear,
- spider mite and others.
Other types of soil diseases include infections vegetable crops are various mold spores and fungal diseases, which can also penetrate the soil and cause contamination. Many microorganisms are able to penetrate not only into the soil, but also permanently remain on the frame of the greenhouse itself (especially if it is made of wood). Therefore, if you carry out soil disinfection measures, it is necessary to affect all parts of the greenhouse in order to completely exclude the re-proliferation of harmful microorganisms.
Common soil diseases:
- keel;
- late blight;
- spots on the leaves;
- macrosporiosis;
- peronosporosis.
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Waterlogging of the soil
If waterlogging of the soil has occurred, then in the near future you can find algae, fungus and mosses on your beds. It also contributes to warm air in a greenhouse. Special deceit can be from ground water, which may be located in the greenhouse area. Often the owner of the greenhouse may not be aware of this and water his plants as usual, as a result, excessive moisture occurs, which in turn leads to soreness and greening of the soil.
How to distinguish moss from algae? You can often confuse these two species, but they have distinctive features:
- At poor lighting greenhouses, moss appears on the plants and the ground.
- But if there is enough light in the greenhouse, then we can talk about the formation of algae.
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Causes of white plaque and measures to get rid of it
White plaque is a yellowish crust, consisting of salt. It can form for the following reasons:
- If the composition of the soil is considered mechanically heavy.
- Difficult soil drainage.
- With poor or poor watering.
- Too much a large number of fertilizer in the soil.
- A large number of dressings in the ground.
- The composition of irrigation water may contain large amounts of chlorine, calcium or magnesium.
- Dry air.
- Fungus or mold.
Ways to deal with plaque.
The appearance of green and white deposits in the soil is associated with excessive waterlogging of the soil.
You can get rid of white plaque on the soil in different ways:
- For example, you can sprinkle the surface of the soil with expanded clay. It is on it that a white dried precipitate will appear, from time to time the expanded clay must be washed and returned to its place again.
- Sprinkle the top layer of soil river sand and loosen it more often. It is very beneficial for the root system of plants.
- You can remove the top layer of soil and add humus from the leaves.
- Remove the top layer of earth and fill in a new one.
- Purchase a soil deoxidizer from a specialized store. Remove the top layer of soil and pour deeper deoxidizer.
- Water the soil with softened water. To do this, use a special filter. You can lower a bag of peat into a bucket of water. If possible, then water should be passed through a layer of peat, then the salts are adsorbed.
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Increased soil acidity
To reduce the acidity of the soil, which causes mosses and mold to spread around the site (and this is detrimental to plants), you need to take the following actions:
- Add wood resin to the soil, you need to do this from time to time. But not too often.
- Add lime to the soil.
- Good dolomite flour added to the ground relieves soil diseases.
It is desirable to add these fertilizers to the soil at the time of digging the earth, before planting plants and after harvesting. In this case, the soil in the greenhouse will not deoxidize, from which mosses will stop appearing.
In order for plants in the soil to grow well and produce a crop, proceed as follows:
- Sprinkle the soil with lime and do not dig up the earth.
- After that, sow green manure - this is a fast-growing grass.
- After the grass sprouts, plant seedlings of other vegetable crops in the soil.
- After the seedlings have taken root, the grass is mowed and used later as a mulching material.
We received a letter from Irina Khromova from Nizhny Novgorod. She writes: “My hobby is to grow indoor flowers. But here's the attack. Usually in late autumn a white coating appears on the ground in a flower pot and often my favorite flowers die because of it. Please tell us how to save indoor plants if there is a white coating in a pot on the ground?
Dear Irina. Most often, white plaque is salt that protrudes to the surface of the soil. There are many reasons for this phenomenon. For example, the soil is too heavy in mechanical composition or, conversely, too lean, sandy, poor in organic matter, which absorbs salts into itself. The consequence of this is the high capillarity of the soil. Moisture, like a filter, reaches the soil surface, evaporates from it and leaves streaks of salt. The same thing happens if a large amount of sphagnum is added to a flower pot. Well, if a white coating appears on the ground in a flower pot, then the plant develops poorly and may even die.
Another reason for the appearance of white bloom on the ground in a flower pot is when the soil mixture is overfertilized. Usually commercial mixtures suffer from this, especially those intended for vegetables or for plants grown in the open field.
Planting a plant in a flower pot that is too large can also lead to the formation of a white coating on the ground. The plant here is not able to assimilate moisture and, evaporating, it draws salts to the surface of the earth.
Excess feeding also leads to the formation of a white coating. Nutrient solutions of a higher concentration than 1 g / l should not be applied, and for ferns and orchids - 0.5 g / l.
White plaque on the soil indoor plants can also give rise to too hard water. It is softened by boiling, but better later still defend and drain from the sediment. The addition of oxalic acid will virtually eliminate total or carbonate hardness. Usually it is required to make no more than 22.5 mg of oxalic acid per 1 liter of water.
It should also be taken into account that if the air in the room is too dry, the evaporation from the ground surface in the flower pot increases, which can lead to the appearance of a white coating. For example, in closed greenhouses and greenhouses there is never a salt crust on the ground.
And in a flower pot, a white bloom on the ground can be an ordinary mold. It can be identified by the fact that it is soft, does not smear and does not crunch when rubbed with fingers. It is not dangerous for adult plants, but it indicates excessive watering.
How to save indoor plants if there is a white coating in a pot on the ground?
In addition to the above measures, you can improve the ventilation in the room and adjust the watering of the plants. It is also necessary to remove the top layer of earth with a white coating and pour in a new soil mixture. To get rid of mold, you can sprinkle the ground in a flower pot with cinnamon powder. It has good antiseptic properties.
White plaque in a flower pot is one of the most common problems in indoor floriculture. Many begin to notice that the topsoil begins to turn white over time. It is difficult to determine the nature of such a phenomenon with the naked eye.
Why is the earth in pots covered with white bloom?
Experts in floriculture distinguish two main reasons: fungal (bacteriological) and salt (mineral).
Salt protrusion
Salt reason is as follows:
- Watering the soil with ordinary unfiltered tap water can form a white coating in indoor flower pots. The fact is that such water is mostly excessively heavy, which accelerates the liming of the soil after repeated watering. The layer of lime makes it difficult to saturate the soil with oxygen.
White plaque in flower pots: causes and methods of struggle
To avoid this, it is necessary to defend the water at room temperature for at least a day before watering. Or water the plants light solution citric acid: 1 teaspoon per 1 liter of water.
- The white layer on the surface of the earth in a pot may be salt, which is formed due to too dense drainage or oversaturation of the soil. mineral fertilizers. During the dormant period of the plant, the soil should be mixed with lighter soil and the amount of bottom drainage should be reduced. And also reduce the amount of top dressing. If this trouble appeared during the active phase of flowering, then only the top layer of soil can be removed and a layer of new soil added. Or additionally sprinkle the earth with expanded clay, which will absorb excess moisture and create a decorative look.
- Insufficient watering of the plant. There should be enough water so that the plant does not dry out. Water the flowers according to the recommendations for watering for each specific plant species.
fungal infection
Another unpleasant reason why the earth in a pot is covered with white bloom can be a fungus. The mold is practically harmless to mature and healthy plants, but is detrimental to seedlings and can affect the condition of a weakened flower.
Fungal infection is formed:
- due to waterlogging of the earth in a pot;
- at low temperature;
- in poorly ventilated areas.
Or the spores of the fungus may already be in the soil in which the plant is planted. In this case, frequent watering contributes to the increased development of bacteria. To avoid this, it is worth watering the earth only when its top layer dries out. The room should be regularly ventilated. Special antifungal agents for the soil cope well with the fungus.
To figure out why there is a white bloom on earth in a pot with your favorite flower, you do not need to have special knowledge in botany, it is enough not to overdo it in caring for it and follow the elementary requirements.
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A salt crust of white or white-yellow color on the surface of the soil mixture in a pot appears due to the predominance of purely physical evaporation of water from the soil over transpiration by the plant.
There are several reasons.
Too heavy mechanical composition of the soil. As a result, its high capillarity and intensive pulling of water to the soil surface.
Difficult drainage at the bottom of the pot and, as a result, evaporation from the soil surface, as the main way of water consumption.
Irrigation errors: poor watering, when the amount of water applied in one irrigation is only enough to wet the surface layer.
Watering can be rare, but should be plentiful with washing the entire soil mass.
Re-fertilized soil mixture. Many of their manufacturers sin with this, especially when preparing mixtures for vegetables. In general, this is a problem when using purchased formulations. For some reason, manufacturers in the mass are sure that a fertilized soil mixture from the heart is a virtue. As if they do not know that all transplants are only in an unfertilized environment! The next careful top dressing only after obvious signs of rooting.
Violation of the principle of matching the volume of soil in a pot and the assimilation ability of the roots of a given plant. There should not be significant volumes of soil that are not mastered by the root system.
Otherwise, again the predominance of physical evaporation over transpiration.
Errors in the dosing of top dressings (overdose), as well as the introduction of top dressings during the dormant period of the plant. For some reason, current manufacturers began to recommend solution concentrations of 2 g / l or more. This is not true. A guaranteed non-toxic concentration in the general case can be recognized as 1 g / l, and for certain groups of plants (ferns, orchids) 0.5 g / l and even 0.1 g / l.
And of course, the notorious softness of irrigation water. Look at its quality, everyone in your city. If the amount of water required for irrigation is insignificant, you can use filtration using some fancy filter with an ion exchanger: chlorine, calcium, magnesium will be removed, and, for example, useful potassium will be added. But this is not for bucket volumes - it's expensive. A reliable softener is oxalic acid, but litmus control is required, because. the initial content of Ca and Mg in water is generally unknown.
Dry air. Dry air strongly stimulates physical evaporation, which again leads to the removal of salts to the soil surface. Salts that come with water from the soil, after its evaporation remain in the leaves - this is the normal mechanism of mineral nutrition. But with increased evaporation, excess salts accumulate in the leaves, and over time, their concentration rises to a dangerous level. In dry air, evaporation from the soil surface is also high, and salts also accumulate there. Soil salinity occurs (in the form of plaque on the soil surface), which provokes plant diseases. In the room where flowers grow, air humidity must be constantly monitored and regulated. That is why there is no salt crust with a “bottle” culture, in various closed greenhouses and greenhouses. However, raising the humidity in the apartment is an even more dreary task than cleaning irrigation water.
Of course, any of the above reasons can be combined!
And yet - a white coating on the surface of the earth in a pot can be caused by the development of fungal microflora from excessive watering, and in order to get rid of it, you need to water the plant only after the top layer of earth in the pot has dried.
Sometimes mold lives in the purchased land. Not necessarily from excessive watering, often purchased land is just that. One even gets the impression that from one container it is scattered into different packages. Yes, from one package, in one case, the soil can “bloom” with white mold, or “wait” for some time. Adult plants usually do not suffer much from this, but there is some danger.
Why does a white coating sometimes appear on the soil of indoor plants?
But young seedlings may die. Mold, even with ordinary watering, in especially sad cases, grows and permeates the entire earth in a pot. Then you need to replant, completely change the whole earth, use fungicides - in general, a long song. But a white-brown coating sometimes appears due to waterlogging of the soil. It has also been noted that the coating on the surface depends on the composition of the earth, the more peat is in the ground, the stronger the coating on the surface (see paragraph 1).
There are many ways to get rid. There is less white and any other plaque if you fill the earth in a pot with expanded clay from above. Then a white dried precipitate appears on the expanded clay itself, collect it from time to time and wash it, then put it back in place.
It is recommended to sprinkle the earth with river sand and loosen the top layer of soil (together with sand). Loosening the soil with the addition of sand is very useful for plant roots. You can remove the top layer and add high-quality leaf or humus soil.
You can simply remove the entire white layer of earth and add a new one.
Stores sell soil softener. The top layer of the earth with a touch is removed and a little deeper and a deoxidizer is poured. It is good to water the flowers with aquarium water.
If it is still mold, drying the earth gives a temporary suspension of the process, but at the next watering it starts with a vengeance. Collect it and sprinkle the earth in a pot with crushed activated charcoal, this prevents rotting and mold growth. In addition to coal, periodically loosen the top layer, add another, healthy earth. Well, in the future, it’s better to transplant the plant into a normal substrate, wash the pot with a stiff brush and laundry soap. From serious events, you can shed the soil with foundationazole, hom or oxych.
Infection of a plant with a fungus starts a slow process of death. The symptoms are as follows: yellowing and falling leaves, stopping the development of buds that do not bloom. If measures are not taken, home plants infected with powdery mildew will die, and only bare branches covered with a whitish coating will remain in their place.
How to deal with white bloom
Disease prevention
Before you start an active fight against mold on indoor plants, you need to find out the cause of its formation and solve this problem. Otherwise, all actions will be in vain - the mold will return again and again. Another reason for this strategy: knowing the source of the problem will make it easier to avoid the return of the fungus in the future.
The first thing you should pay attention to is the level of humidity in the room. Musty wet air — ideal conditions for the development of mold spores. Start by making sure your indoor plants are well ventilated.
One more probable cause- feeding plants with nitrogenous fertilizers. Change the diet of your plants: try feeding the soil with potash and phosphorus fertilizers. 
Folk methods of treating white plaque
Prevention is very important, but if the enemy has already taken you by surprise, you need radical methods fight. Continue to maintain a healthy indoor environment: air and water the plants regularly, make sure the plants get enough sunlight, find any fungus-affected leaves and prune them.
The very treatment for powdery mildew should be started as soon as possible, because the spores of the fungus spread very quickly.
Having no experience of such work, people often turn to folk methods that are full of forums on the Internet.
For example, some advise using slurry to spray plants.
Someone claims that effective method is spraying with a solution of potassium permanganate or a solution of soda and soap.
Garlic tincture is also recognized as an effective weapon against fungus on plants.
Why is there a white coating in the flower pot and what to do about it
You can try all these methods and see for yourself the effectiveness of one or another. But experience shows: folk methods are ineffective, and the effect that can be achieved, unfortunately, is short-lived.
Not knowing how to deal with white plaque professionally, many naively rely on efficiency. folk methods. Of course, by typing in the search engine the query " powdery mildew treatment”, there are many original home methods for the destruction of the disease. Someone advises diluting slurry and spraying flowers with it, someone suggests a more complex recipe: spray the plants at intervals of 5-7 days, first with a solution of potassium permanganate, after a solution of soda ash with soap, complete with garlic tincture. As practice shows, the percentage of effectiveness of home recipes is low, as a rule, the owners of the "home garden" carried away by the struggle lose precious time, which leads to the death of plants.
Powdery mildew treatment
You can try to cure the plants yourself. This will require antibiotics. For spraying, take streptomycin (250 U / ml), penicillin (100 U / ml) and terramycin (100 U / ml). This mixture is diluted with water in proportions 1:1 and used for spraying on affected plants.
The effect of antibiotics can be very good. However, not one hundred percent.
Professional solution for powdery mildew
Specialists of the sanitary service "ECO-CAPITAL" have all the necessary resources to solve the problem of mold on houseplants. To order professional disinfection, just call the phone number or order a free call back. Departure of the master in Moscow and the Moscow region is possible already on the day of your application.
White coating on the soil flower pots- a problem that not only novice flower growers encounter, but also experienced lovers of home oases. Plaque brings with it a lot of trouble: the flower becomes lethargic, mold and rot appear, the roots rot, midges begin to fly.
Many people think that main reason white plaque on the ground is an excess of moisture, but this is not entirely true. We will try to understand this problem and find out the causes of white plaque on the ground in flower pots and how to remove it at home.
If a white or yellow coating, which means that the flower was flooded with hard water. Plaque is a lime sediment that forms when it is watered with unsettled water. It is already becoming clear why a white coating appears on the ground in flower pots
What to do in case of white bloom on the ground in flower pots?
- Remove the plant root from the pot and let it dry for 1 hour.
- Transplant the plant into fresh soil.
- If there is no earth, then the contents of the slide must be shaken out and dried in the microwave.
- Spill it with boiling water, and bactericidal agents.
- Plant a flower and dry again for 10-15 minutes.
- Further, it can be reused.
Is the earth in the pot covered with green or white bloom (mold)? Correcting the situation will be much easier. It is necessary to pour sand, ash or clay over the main lump. They will help by absorbing excess water. You can use another option: fluff the ground well and make deep punctures in it, they will also rid the contents of excess moisture.
You can just lay the ground in a pot paper towels- The easiest way.
Don't forget to check the drainage holes in the pots, they often get clogged and excess water accumulates at the bottom of the container, which causes rot and an unpleasant odor.
What to do:
- Avoid watering with unsettled water.
- Before watering, you can add 0.5 teaspoon of citric acid, or juice from one lemon, to the water.
- Remove the top layer of earth and fill the place with fresh leafy substrate.
- Install water filters in your home.
- It is useful to lower peat bags into the water and defend it with them.
For prevention purposes, it is useful to pour expanded clay or coarse river sand on top of the ground in a flower pot and fluff the ground.
Mold Control Methods
The constant moisture of the earth provokes its infection with mold, the flower pot becomes a real hotbed. Proper watering and free drainage holes prevent stagnation. But what if the soil is already infected and bugs have started?
- Stop watering.
- Dry the root system.
- Replace the topsoil to a depth of 2-3 cm.
If these measures are not successful, then it will be necessary to do a complete plant transplant.
Plant transplant
To do this, the earthen ball, along with the roots, is pulled out of the pot and left to dry for 2 days. If a ceramic planter is used for planting, then it must be boiled for 20 minutes, if the planter is plastic or plastic, it is better to get rid of it, since fungus spores remain on its edges, which will still remain fertile for several years.
After two days, you need to gently shake the roots and disinfect them. The old earth must be thrown out, and before planting, steam the new one in a water bath or in a microwave oven.
Expanded clay must be laid at the bottom of the pot, then earth is poured, a flower is planted and the top is sprinkled with coarse river sand. What will it give? First of all, the regulation of air flow to the roots, and hence the decrease in humidity. Similar method it will also help if the overflow is small and random.
Soil disinfection
The method of soil disinfection is considered one of the most effective. It helps not only to destroy the smell and mold, but also completely destroys the spores.
The procedure is carried out according to the plan:
- Clean the roots as much as possible from the ground.
- Collect the soil and put in a container.
- Pour boiling water over it.
- Pierce in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Cool down completely.
- Treat the pot with a disinfectant.
- Pour the earth into a pot and plant a plant.
The soil can also be kept in a water bath. For this purpose, water is poured into the pan, a colander or sieve with gauze rolled up in several layers is placed on top. When the water boils, fill the soil and cover with a lid. The earth is steamed, thus, for at least 30 minutes. The plant is planted after the soil has completely cooled.
The earth must be fertilized or nourished with minerals, you can add yeast.
Purchased mold repellents
Purchased products help to remove mold very well. Today they are sold in large quantities in specialized flower shops. The seller will select the necessary preparation for the intended purpose for processing the soil cover or the plant itself, and tell you what to do with it.
You should always pay attention to the instructions, which indicate which plants it is intended for. Otherwise, the flower may get burned or die.
Also consider the parameters for choosing a chemical agent:
- plant features.
- For what kind of soil?
- Availability of applied fertilizers for the last month.
- The amount of spread of a fungal infection.
It is best to select a ready-made solution of organic origin. They have already selected ingredients that block the further reproduction of fungal spores in the soil.
Folk methods of treating white plaque
There are also folk remedies fighting mold on the ground, but they are effective only at the very beginning of the disease.
- after planting the plant, sprinkle the ground with sand or expanded clay;
- if mold has already begun to appear, transplant the plant to another land, and put a few cloves of garlic on top until completely dry, then replace them with new ones;
- when a white coating appears, remove the top layer of the earth, pour fresh, and put 5-6 activated charcoal tablets on top of the soil;
- a solution of citric acid will help get rid of mold, on liter jar 0.5 teaspoon. You can only water them with plants that accept acidic soil.
Prevention of the earth against white plaque (mold)
It is not always easy to overcome a fungus in a flower pot, it takes more than one day, it happens that even a week is not enough. Therefore, it is always easier to prevent infection than to treat later.
Prevention measures:
- Constant loosening of the soil, especially after watering. This will provide additional air flow and evaporation of excess moisture.
- Providing good and reliable drainage. This is one of the main conditions for planting a flower. It is important that it passes water well.
- Proper selection of planters or pots. Cache-pots need to be selected depending on the shape and location of the roots.
- Feed regularly. High-quality fertilizers will help the plant withstand stress.
- Monthly treatment with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Potassium permanganate will disinfect the soil.
- Ventilation of premises. Daily airing of the room is necessary, but this does not mean at all that you need to arrange drafts.
- Creating an optimal level of humidity.
By following simple and simple tips, you can prevent the appearance of white plaque and fungi such as mold.
Hello dear visitor of our site. Do you have a problem with white mold on the ground in your houseplants? This is not as rare as you might think at first glance. A lot of people are looking for this request on the Internet, and we decided to help them solve this problem.
White plaque on the ground is of two types:
- White and dry - salt residue from evaporated liquid
- mold white
Plaque on dry ground in flowers
When this plaque appears, the flowers will develop poorly and, if nothing is done, they will eventually die. A white dry layer forms on dry soil due to various factors one of them is hard water.
hard water
If you're watering your houseplants with tap water, you're more likely to have a problem with white bloom. This is due to the fact that tap water is hard, and there are several ways to soften it:
- Special funds
If you do not want to bother with softening the water, rain or melt water (snow) is suitable for watering potted flowers. Collect rainwater in a clean container and use it to water your plantings.
How to soften water for irrigation
As mentioned earlier, you can use one of three methods to soften water.
To do this, boil water and let it stand for a day. Pour water into a container for irrigation, and remove the sediment. Plants can be watered with this liquid, but some experts do not recommend doing this. after boiling water loses oxygen and this will not benefit the plants. But such a liquid cannot bring much harm either, so you can use this method if there is no other way out.
The white layer is the remains of the salt that is present in the water, they also make the water hard. To remove them, you can freeze water. Because salt crystals and water crystals have different freezing temperatures, then when we freeze hard water, water freezes first, and only after it is salt. Therefore, as soon as the water has turned into ice, we take it out, and drain the rest of the water in which the salt remains. We defrost the ice and water our potted flowers with it.
Special funds
To do this, you need to go to the store for the garden and buy a water softener. Use this product to soften the water. After using the product, it is better to let the water settle. For better water softening, follow the instructions on the package. If there is no instructions on the package, you need to buy good remedy where is the instruction.
Other causes of whiteness on earth
The heavy mechanical composition of the soil in the pot contributes to the appearance of white layering. In this case, there is a high capillarity of the soil. Water comes to the surface of the soil and evaporates, leaving salt residue. The same thing happens when the flower pot is too large. You water the soil a lot to keep the whole pot perimeter moist, but the vegetation can't take up that much water, and it ends up evaporating to the surface of the soil and leaving a light layer. The rapid evaporation of water on the soil surface is affected by dry air in an unventilated area.
If all of these factors do not apply to you, then you use a lot of top dressing in the form of nutrient solutions.
How to get rid of white earth in pots
Use softened water, ventilate the room, transplant plants into containers that match their size. Remove the white soil and replace with a new earthen mixture.
Mold on flower ground 
If the coating is soft and does not crunch when you touch it with your finger, then this is ordinary mold. It appears due to excessive watering of your indoor plants and high humidity in the room. To get rid of mold, you need to water less, remove a layer of soil with mold, add a new earth mixture. It will not be superfluous to treat the soil with an antifungal drug (fungicide). Examples of such drugs: Sarfun (Sarfun 500 SC), Topsin (Topsin M 500 SC).
The color of the soil is one of its important external properties, the most accessible for observation and widely used in soil science for naming soils (chernozem, red soil, yellow soil, gray soil, etc.).
Soil color is directly related to its chemical composition, conditions of soil formation, humidity.
The color of the horizon depends on the presence in the soil of one or another amount of coloring substances. The upper horizons are stained with humus in dark colors(gray and brown). How large quantity soil contains humus, the darker the horizon is colored. The presence of iron and manganese gives the soil brown, ocher, red tones. Whitish, white tones suggest the presence of podzolization processes (washing out of decomposition products of the mineral part of the soil), salinization, salinization, carbonation, i.e. the presence of silica, kaolin, calcium and magnesium carbonate, gypsum and other salts in the soil.
Soils are rarely painted in any one pure color. Usually the soil color is quite complex and consists of several colors (for example, gray-brown, whitish-gray, reddish-brown, etc.), with the name of the predominant color being placed last.
Thus, to determine the color of the soil horizon, it is necessary:
a) set the dominant color;
b) determine the saturation of this color (dark, light-colored);
v) note the shades of the main color. For example, brownish light gray, brownish brown, light, grayish fawn, etc.).
When describing the soil, it is necessary to indicate the degree of color uniformity. For example, brownish-gray, heterogeneous, against a gray background, brown and rust spots and lubes. Such a description helps to more fully characterize the soil and evaluate it genetically.
When determining the color of the soil in field conditions it is necessary to take into account soil moisture and the degree of illumination of the soil section. Wet soil has a darker color than air-dry soil, so it is very important to indicate the degree of moisture when describing the soil. This facilitates further cameral processing of field data.
Much also depends on the illumination of the soil by the sun. Lighting should be uniform throughout the soil profile, as soil looks darker in the shade and it is easy to make mistakes in determining its color. It is better to determine the color of the soil when the sun is high than in the early morning or evening.
It is advisable to check the color of the soil in samples brought to an air-dry state, i.e., well dried in a dry room or in air (but not in the sun). To achieve uniformity in determining the color of soils, a color scale can be compiled from soil samples common in the study area, and used as a standard in describing the soil section.
The color depends on the substances that accumulate in the process of soil formation. The most important for soil coloration are 3 groups of compounds:
humus - black,
iron - red and blue,
Si+CaCO3+H4SiO3 - white color.
Photo: Soil Science
The most typical color is black. Humus is formed as a result of the sod process (mixed forest, grass (turf)). Pure turf can be formed under oak, hornbeam, ash (sod-burozem process). Humus has the consistency of tar, everything that comes into contact with it turns black. All the upper horizons of our soils are black (6-8%) in color. There are also derivatives of this color: dark gray (5%), light gray (1-3%), gray (4%). Coloring depends on the quantitative content of humus. The white color is due to the podzolic process.
Process flow:
A) Coniferous shady forest;
B) Acid coniferous litter, forest litter;
C) Flushing water regime, predominance of precipitation over evaporation;
D) Mineralization of acidic coniferous litter;
E) Release of mineral elements from dead inorganic matter, and organic acids (malic, oxalic, formic) from dead organic matter;
E) Destruction by organic acids of the mineral part of the soil or its solid phase;
G) The removal of mineral elements formed as a result of the destruction of the solid phase of the soil in the underlying horizons. In connection with the removal to the lower horizons, the tops are lightened until they approach white; derivatives: yellow, light yellow, fawn. Lightening occurs in horizon A2. The intensity of the color depends on the course of podzolic processes: the stronger they are, the closer the color is to a whitish color. There are: strong (whitish), medium (yellow), weak (yellow) podzolic processes. Also White color soils can be caused by the carbonate process. Where there is a lot of calcium, there is a carbonate process. (this is great)
Red gives many shades: brown, light, dark orange, chestnut, etc.
Blue color - swamp process. Derivatives: blue, light, dark, just blue, purple. Hue is related to the intensity of the process. Parameters responsible for the process:
1. Constant excess of moisture;
2. As a consequence of the first anaerobic conditions;
3. The activity of anaerobic microorganisms, under their influence, iron (red) is oxidized into blue iron. Horizons with blue tint- gley. The soil is garbage, and peat, as a result, is good. The rapid mineralization of peat leads to the depletion and death of fertile soil.