Charlottetown (soil series)
Encyclopedia
Charlottetown soil series is the name given to a deep fine sandy loam soil
which has developed under forest
vegetation on glacial till. This series occurs only on Prince Edward Island
, where it is widespread and so important for agriculture
that it has been designated as the Provincial Soil.
This soil is an Orthic Humo-Ferric Podzol in the Canadian soil classification system. It has good moisture-holding capacity and is well drained. It warms quickly in the spring; this is an important virtue in a region where spring comes late. It is easy to work and is not excessively stony. Few other Podzols, or other Prince Edward Island soils, have the same desirable traits as the Charlottetown.
Like all Podzols, the Charlottetown is strongly acidic unless it is limed. It is largely used to grow potato
es, which depend on the Charlottetown's natural acidity to produce scab-free yields. It is also noted for its vivid red color for which Prince Edward Island is famous.
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
which has developed under forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
vegetation on glacial till. This series occurs only on Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
, where it is widespread and so important for agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
that it has been designated as the Provincial Soil.
This soil is an Orthic Humo-Ferric Podzol in the Canadian soil classification system. It has good moisture-holding capacity and is well drained. It warms quickly in the spring; this is an important virtue in a region where spring comes late. It is easy to work and is not excessively stony. Few other Podzols, or other Prince Edward Island soils, have the same desirable traits as the Charlottetown.
Like all Podzols, the Charlottetown is strongly acidic unless it is limed. It is largely used to grow potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
es, which depend on the Charlottetown's natural acidity to produce scab-free yields. It is also noted for its vivid red color for which Prince Edward Island is famous.