Playing in the Dirt… for Science!

As part of our Virginia Department of Forestry Grant award, we will be increasing the tree canopy at the Larchmont Library Trailhead and implementing a landscaping plan behind the trailhead shelter. This will happen in phases over the course of the next couple of months. To prepare for the planting in an area that is often inundated with water it was recommended that we have the soil tested to be sure that what we planted would be successful and to remediate the soil, if needed. Did you know we have an incredible resource right here in our community for all things Agriculture? The Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center is located at the intersection of Northampton and Diamond Springs Rd. and boasts beautiful grounds, knowledgeable staff and a stunning demonstration garden maintained by the area Master Gardeners. It also happens to be where you can go to pick up kits for soil testing.

After being helped by a researcher, I (Kindra) was on my way with sample boxes and forms. I headed to our planting site with a hand trowel and bucket. Following the instructions, I made sure to get samples from various areas of the planting site, digging down deep enough to ensure a thorough sample of dirt. Later, I created an ERT account through Virginia Tech, packaged the soil up per the instructions and told the researchers what we would be planting. We all anxiously awaited the results. It was our expectation that the soil would be incredibly salty and need extensive remediation. To our surprise, the results came back quite conducive for our planting needs. In preparation for our first planting day we made sure to get excellent compost to supplement the soil. We feel confident we’ve given our plants the best shot and now that we’ve gone through this process and have seen how easy it is, we will know how to prepare our sites for our future urban agriculture and tree planting projects. Check out the HRARE here