This episode of SciShow Kids is made in partnership
with our friends at Soil Cycle.
[♪ INTRO]
[Squeaks squeaks]
Oh. I see.
[Squeaks squeaks]
And it’s not doing so well, huh?
[Squeaks squeaks]
Aw, Squeaks, I’m sorry!
Oh, hi there everyone!
Squeaks was just asking for my help with a gardening problem.
He wanted to be able to see his favorite flower from his favorite
picnic spot, so he moved it from The Fort’s garden to a new place.
But now it’s not looking so hot.
Let’s figure this out.
Are you still giving it the same amount of water every day?
[Squeaks squeaks]
...And did you check to make sure it’s getting the same amount of sun and fertilizer?
[Squeaks squeaks]
Hm.
Then I bet it has to do with the dirt in the new spot.
[Squeaks asks a question]
Oh yeah—the dirt itself can definitely make a difference!
While we might think that all dirt is the same...it’s not!
[Squeaks squeaks]
Oh!
You’re right Squeaks!
I should say not all soil is the same, since that’s what it’s called
by pedologists—the scientists that study the stuff we plant things in.
And those scientists have found that soils can have different
properties or traits that make them different from one another.
Like, soils can be different colors.
But I have a feeling the property we need to look at to solve this
mystery is how it feels—what those scientists would call its texture.
Soil is mostly made up of little tiny rocks;
its texture depends on the size of those rocks.
And soil texture can have a big effect on
whether or not plants get what they need to be healthy.
Soil that feels rough, or gritty, feels that way
because it's made up of bigger rocks than smoother soil.
Gritty soil is great for plants that like dry habitats
because water passes right through it.
Soil that feels smooth feels that way because it's made up
of much smaller rocks than gritty soil.
Smooth soil is great for thirsty plants that like wet habitats
because water takes a lot longer to pass through it.
Let’s go collect some soil from each spot.
Then, we can rub some of each of them between our fingers
and see if they feel any different!
OK Squeaks! Let's see!
Hmmm....the new soil doesn't feel grittier,
but it doesn't feel smoother either.
I don't think I can tell if the texture is different just by touching it, Squeaks!
But don't worry, I have an idea!
A pedologist friend of mine taught me a neat trick a while back
that helps you see the texture of soil!
What do you say, Squeaks?
[Squeaks says yes!]
If you want to try this activity at home, all you’ll need
are two clear containers with lids, some soil from different areas,
some water… and, of course, an okay from a grownup!
Here, we have two cups of soil.
One is from The Fort’s garden...and the other is from
Squeaks’ favorite picnic spot.
[Squeaks squeaks]
Right!
We made sure that we got about the same amount of soil
from each spot.
We put each cup of soil into a clear container.
We’ve already labeled the containers so we know which is which.
Now we’ll add about the same amount of water to each container…
and put on the lid.
...And, it’s time to shake things up!
[♪ MUSIC]
Whew!
Okay, it’s time to put these in a place where
they won’t be disturbed… and wait.
We need to give our mud shakes time to settle—at least a few hours,
though a day would be better.
So, let’s go, Squeaks… we’ll check back tomorrow!
Alright, Squeaks, are you ready to take a careful look
at our containers?
Oooh, cool!
Look at the layers!
I count 1...2...3!
Let’s check them out!
What do you see?
[Squeaks squeaks]
This top layer?
You’re right!
It does look a lot like the clay we use to make pots and sculptures.
And that’s because it is clay!
Those are the smallest bits of rock in soil—so small
we’d need a microscope to see them!
Because they are so small, they fit really close together.
So if your soil is made of mostly clay, water will have
a hard time going through it.
And, because they are so small, they take a long time to sink
—which is why clay is at the very top.
[Squeaks squeaks]
Right again, Squeaks!
This middle layer has slightly larger bits of rock in it,
even though you still can’t see the actual rocks.
It’s called silt.
Tiny pieces of silt can’t snuggle up as close to one another
as bits of clay can.
So water can squeeze between them pretty easily!
But, they’re still small enough that silt feels soft when it’s dry…
kind of like the flour you might have in your kitchen.
[Squeaks squeaks excitedly]
You can see the rocks in the bottom, can’t you?
That’s because they’re grains of sand!
Sand grains are the biggest and heaviest part of the soil,
which is why they sank to the bottom.
And sand is, well… sand, like you’d find at the beach!
And we know that sand feels gritty and rough when we touch it.
There’s lots of room for air between grains of sand…
which is good, because plants need that air.
But water also rushes right through those spaces.
So sandy soil doesn’t hold on to water very well.
Now, do we see any differences between these two soils?
[Squeaks squeaks]
I agree, Squeaks!
The soil in the new spot looks like it has a lot more sand
than the soil in the garden.
[Squeaks squeaks]
And yep!
That means water runs faster through it.
So...
[Squeaks squeaks]
Bingo!
I bet that your flower isn’t happy there because the soil’s
sandy texture means it’s not getting enough water.
[Squeaks squeaks]
Of course, Squeaks!
I’d be happy to help you move it back to the garden!
And speaking of the garden, all our soil episodes this month
are brought to you by our friends at Soil Cycle!
They’re a non-profit organization in Missoula, Montana,
and they take food scraps from their neighborhood
and turn it into great soil for people to use with their plants.
We recently took a field trip to Soil Cycle to learn more about
how they do it, and if you want to watch that,
you can head over to the SciShow Kids YouTube page.
And if you want to learn even more about soil,
you can hit the subscribe button!
For now, we’ll see you next time at The Fort!
[♪ OUTRO]