Soil Suitability and Citizen Gardening Interest , Muncie, Indiana.

This study explored soil properties and interest in gardening in Muncie, Indiana, USA.  A fifteen-question survey was mailed to 1,000 randomly selected households within the 4,450 ha study area.  The survey generated 180 responses and 55 requests for soil samples.  Recipients were asked about gardening, soil quality, yard modifications, general demographic information, and if they wanted to request a soil sample. Bulk density, soil texture, pH, Mehlich-3 extractable P and K, DTPA and HNO₃ extractable Pb, and soil organic matter (SOM) were measured for 130 soil samples collected from the 55 requests.
            Muncie gardeners rated soil quality in their yards higher than did non-gardeners.  Compared to non-gardeners, gardeners were more interested in helping others garden, and were more interested in continuing to garden.  Gardeners modified their yards more comprehensively.    There was no association between perceptions of soil quality and the number of reported soil modifications.  Soil testing was rare, and only 6% of respondents had tested their soil previously. Some survey response bias and non-response bias occurred.

Muncie’s yard and garden soils appear to be suitable for gardening. Soil properties did not differ between yards and gardens except for higher P levels in gardens (mean 715 kg Mehlich P ha^-1). Soil organic matter averaged 5.7% and mean soil bulk density was 1.14 Mg m^-3.  Soil textures were predominately loams. Soil Pb tended to be below levels commonly associated with health concerns.

            Results indicate soils in Muncie are suitable for gardening, but perceptions of soil quality differ between gardeners and non-gardeners.  Future studies should investigate what specific soil properties gardeners and non-gardeners use to assess their soil and the implications of their management practices on the urban environment.  Additional soil properties and more sampling locations could be analyzed to better assess urban soil variability.