Hydrate at the Living Lab: Building Healthy Desert Soils

Turn waste into resources and build healthy desert soils with this class.

Urban yards have the potential to produce well beyond their natural productivity without needing costly store products. By integrating the use of typical waste streams such as greywater, stormwater, plant trimmings, and more, you can bring desert soils to life. Learn how to assess soil types, profiles, and infiltration. By the conclusion of this class, you will have the skills necessary to effectively use typical household wastes to build soil health and promote a productive urban landscape in your own yard!

Learning Objectives

•  How to assess soil types and profile characteristics
•  Enhance soil moisture absorption and retention
•  Promote building a soil food web
•  Create a plan for your landscape to use ‘wastes’ that create soil health
   

Pre-Course Activity

Maximize your class experience and come prepared. Before class, preview our Soil Assessment Youtube Playlist and then use the USDA NRCS Web Soil Survey to classify your soil type at home and identify the following properties for your soil:

A) hydrologic soil group
B) typical soil profile
C) depth to restrictive layer (and what type of layer is it?)