By ALICIA FEYERHERM
Tiger Media Network
To celebrate Earth Day, the Sternberg Geoscience Club is hosting a “What’s in Your Soil?” event at 5:30 p.m. on Monday in the Stouffer Lounge of the Memorial Union.
Assistant Professor of Agronomy Iryna McDonald and District Director and Horticulture Agent from the K-State Research Extension Jay Harris will present on soil, fertilization and the risk of over-fertilization.
Two different soil test kits will be available at this event. One kit is an electronic soil tester that indicates pH and fertility of the soil. The other soil test kit tests pH, Nitrogen levels, Phosphate levels and Potash levels individually,
Testing soil and understanding the different components of that soil is very important. One common mistake is fertilizing soil that does not need to be fertilized.
“If there is more awareness on the negative impacts of fertilization, this might deter unnecessary fertilization or fertilization without determining if it is needed,” Sternberg Geosciences President Valerie Scott said.
Different plants require different soil types and nutrients, so there is not a one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to fertilization.
“Everyone has different goals with regard to their flower gardens, vegetable gardens, or other plants,” Scott said.
With the weather warming up and more people starting to garden, Scott felt Earth Day was the perfect time for this event.
“Fertilizers are an important tool for both agriculture and smaller-scale gardening; however, it may not be evident if something needs fertilizers or even what kind of fertilizers would be beneficial,” Scott said.
This is where the guest speakers will come in and provide insight into the unique needs of different situations.
“Our guest speakers are definitely the experts and I expect that they will have a lot of engaging and important information regarding soils and fertilizations,” Scott said.
The public is encouraged to attend this event.
“One of the reasons this event is larger than our normal events and speakers is the desire to reach the community and not just the department or FHSU students,” Scott said.