3.2

• Best Medium

  • Soil is the cheapest and most abundant medium where minneral nutrients, water and oxygen can be supplied to a plant
• Requirements of plants

  • Plants require a supply of Nitrogen, phosporous, potasium and a range of elements to construct protein and carry out life processes
• Organic Conent - Decomposers that produce humus 


  Earthworms: Break down vegetation, mix the soil aerate the soil and spread organic matter through the Soil

  Fungi: Feed directly on dead matter, digest hard woody Items and aid plants with taking nutrients through their roots

  Bacteria: Work on Organic matter, convert waste products to simple chemicals, some convert nitrogen to nitrates.
• High levels of Organic matter

  • Increase water holding capacity
  • Increase air spaces in soil
  • Increases the number of decomposers in the soil
  • prevents loss of mineral nutrients
• Soil pH

  • Depends on parent rock and pH of water that flows into the area
  • Affects the uptake of nutrients by plant roots
  • Affects the availability of nutrients
• Drainage

  capacity of the soil to drain water must be medium
• Ease of Cultivation

  • How easily the soil can be plowed