Cranberry Bed Soil Profile

New England Soil Profiles
Cranberry Bed Soil Profile
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This profile is from a cranberry bed (Freetown Coarse Sand map unit). It shows thin (.25 to .5 in) alternating layers of sand and organic material. The sand is added to the bed surface every 3-5 years for management purposes (increases aeration, promotes vine grown, etc.). At 11 to 14 inches on the photo is the first layer of sand added when the bed was constructed or renovated, below this layer is a buried organic soil (Freetown Series).

Photo by Pete Fletcher, photo location - Unknown.

This profile is from a cranberry bed located in Hanson, Massachusetts. This profile has a 40 cm. layer of fill material overlying a buried organic soil (Freetown Series). The human-transported fill material was deposited on the bed sometime between 1977 and 1986 for cranberry production. The brighter layer (5 to 23 cm.) has prominent redox concentrations, the gray layer (23 to 40 cm.) is interpreted to be a gleyed horizon. The buried organic soil (below 40 cm.) consists of highly decomposed material.

Photo by Rob Tunstead, photo location - Burrage Pond Wildlife Management Area, Hanson, MA. Lat: 42.026138 Lon: -070.866736

Freetown coarse sand, town of Plymouth Massachusetts: 41 54' 10.6"N, 70 38' 59.4"W
Profile shows 16 inches of finely stratified coarse sand and organic material (human transported material ^Ap horizon) underlain by highly decomposed organic soils (2Oab Horizon). Photo by Rob Tunstead, NRCS.