Soil Management Handbook - Ministry of Agriculture and Lands

Kelowna Soil Management Group
Soil Series: Armstrong (A) (A:sw) (A:sw,cb),
Bluespring (BP), Cherryville (CY), Giants Head
(GH), Grizzly Hill (GH), Harrland (HD),
Hayman (HN), Kelowna (KE), McDougall (ML)
and Reiswig (RS)
General Characteristics: These soils have
developed in deep, medium to moderately
coarse-textured glacial till deposits which are
usually capped with sandy to loamy, wind-blown
surface deposits that vary from 10 to 30 cm in
thickness. This surface layer may be up to 100
cm in the McDougall soils. These soils are well
drained. The arable topography ranges from very
gentle (2%) to moderate (15%) slopes.
Non-arable topographies (25 to 70% slopes) also
occur on these soils. The surface stoniness of
these soils ranges from nonstony (S0) to
exceedingly stony (S4).
Dominant Soil Limitations:
• Adverse topography occurs where slopes are
greater than 25%.
• Subsoils are dense and compact and may limit
root penetration of some crops.
• Organic matter content of surface layers is low to
very low.
• Variable surface stoniness exists and would
require, in some cases, stone removal for crop
production.
Well Suited Crops: Where surface soils are stone
free and deeper than 50 cm over glacial till, have
slopes that are less than 9% and soil surface
textures that are loam to loamy sand, all
climatically adapted crops can produce maximum
economic yields.
Management Inputs:
Organic Matter Incorporation: Incorporation of
organic matter is required for moisture
conservation when soils are cultivated.
Suited Crops: Where surface soils are slightly
stony (S1) to moderately stony (S2), have depths
that are 25 to 50 cm over glacial till, consist of
slopes that are less than 9% and comprised of
textures that are loam to loamy sand, the
following crops have the potential to produce
maximum yields: alfalfa, annual vegetable crops
(except root crop vegetables), blueberries, corn,
cereals, forage crops - drier sites, ginseng, grapes,
nursery and Christmas trees, raspberries,
strawberries and tree fruits. Where soil conditions
are similar to the ones given above, but the slopes
range from 9 to 15%, the suited crops are the
same as listed above except ginseng, nursery and
Christmas trees and strawberries, if they are clean
cultivated. Slopes that are 15 to 25% are suited
to grapes, forage crops - drier sites and tree fruits
(except sour cherries). On slopes 20 to 25%, M9
and M26 apple rootstocks and forage are not
suited.
Management Inputs:
Stone Removal: Stone removal will be required for
moderately stony soils (S2) when crops other than
tree fruits and grapes are grown.
Erosion Control Practices: Crops grown on slopes
greater than 9% will require conservation
practices to prevent soil erosion.
Cover Cropping: Cover crops are required to supply
organic matter to the soil.
Unsuited Crops: All climatically adapted crops are
unsuited where slopes are greater than 25% and
where the stoniness class is S4 (exceedingly
stony), except grasslands.
Reasons: Tractor operation is risky where slopes are
greater than 25% and where stoniness class is S4.
Stone removal for crop production is likely to be
uneconomic.
18 Soil Management Handbook – Okanagan-Similkameen Valleys