Skip to main content Skip to navigation
Washington State University - Puyallup Organic Farming Systems and Nutrient Management

Urban Soils

Urban Soils

Overview:

Urban soils in areas affected by development are frequently compacted, cut, and filled, resulting in a poor environment for plant growth and increased risk of runoff and harm to the aquatic environment. Our research has focused on compost amendment of landscape soils to improve soil quality and plant growth. It included a comparison of surface-applied and incorporated compost in a woody landscape established on converted agricultural land (2001-2006), and a project comparing surface-applied and incorporated compost and biosolids products applied to cut and compacted subsoils within a highway roadside landscaping zone (2007-2010).

Compost Amendment of Landscape Soils:

♣ Urban Highway Roadside Soils and Shrub Plantings are Enhanced by Surface Applied and Incorporated Organic Amendments (Request pdf e-copy). Bary, A., R.L. Hummel, and C. Cogger. 2016. J. Arbor. Urban Hort. 42:418-427.

♣ Soil and Redosier Dogwood Response to Incorporated and Surface-Applied Compost (Request pdf e-copy). Cogger, C., R. Hummel, J. Hart, and A. Bary. 2008. Hortsci. 43(7):2143–2150.

Above-Photo of demonstration rain garden at WSU Puyallup.
Above-demonstration rain garden at WSU Puyallup.
Photo of research on various vegetation types on rain garden effectiveness at WSU Puyallup.
Above-Research on various vegetation types on rain garden effectiveness at WSU Puyallup.

 

Low-Impact Development, Green Infrastructure:

WSU-Puyallup Low Impact Development (“LID”) Research Program. The WSU Puyallup campus was retrofitted to reduce stormwater runoff. Rain gardens, permeable pavements, mesocosms.  Tours, training.

Rain Garden Handbook for Western Washington, A Guide to Design, Maintenance, and Installation. 2013.  Dept. Ecology, WSU Extension, Kitsap Cty.

Photo of Mesocosm rain garden research units for studying suitability of various soil mixes for rain gardens.
Above-Mesocosm rain garden research units for studying suitability of various soil mixes for rain gardens.
Photo of water collection units for Mesocosm rain garden research at WSU to study water quality after passing through various soil mixes.
Above-water collection units for Mesocosm rain garden research at WSU to study water quality after passing through various soil mixes.