Bluegrass soil and aerial view
Soil profile: A representative soil profile of the Bluegrass series. The upper 50 to 100 centimeters of the solum formed in silty material and the lower part formed in residuum weathered from phosphatic limestone. The phosphatic limestone members include the Lexington and Cynthiana Limestone Formations of the Inner Bluegrass Physiographic Region. (Kentucky Soil Atlas; by Anastasios D. Karathanasis, University of Kentucky)
Landscape: Bluegrass soils are on nearly level to moderately steep uplands. Slopes are commonly 0 to 12 percent, but range up to 20 percent. The underlying limestone is cavernous and some areas have karst topography.
The Bluegrass series consists of very deep, well drained, moderately permeable soils that formed in silty material over residuum weathered from phosphatic limestone. These soils are on uplands.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, active, mesic Typic Paleudalfs
Thickness of the solum ranges from 60 to 120 inches or more. Thickness of the argillic horizon ranges from 50 to 100 inches. Depth to bedrock ranges from 60 to 200 inches or more. Chert fragments, less than 3 inches in diameter, range from 0 to 5 percent in the 2Bt, 2BC and 2C horizons. The reaction of the Ap, A and Bt horizons range from neutral to strongly acid; the 2Bt, 2BC and 2C horizons range from slightly acid to strongly acid. The phosphate content in the solum is variable but is typically medium or high.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used for crops; such as burley tobacco, corn, small grains, alfalfa, and for pasture. Bluegrass and white clover are the most common pasture plants. Native vegetation was dominated by oaks, elm, ash, black walnut, black and honey locust, hackberry, black cherry, and Kentucky coffee tree. Glades of native grasses and canes were reported by early settlers.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Inner Bluegrass Region of Kentucky. The Bluegrass series was previously included with the Maury series or the Sandview series, phosphatic substratum phase.
For additional information about Kentucky soils, visit:
uknowledge.uky.edu/pss_book/4/
For a detailed soil description, visit:
soilseries.sc.egov.usda.gov/OSD_Docs/B/BLUEGRASS.html
For acreage and geographic distribution, visit:
casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/see/#bluegrass
Bluegrass soil and aerial view
Soil profile: A representative soil profile of the Bluegrass series. The upper 50 to 100 centimeters of the solum formed in silty material and the lower part formed in residuum weathered from phosphatic limestone. The phosphatic limestone members include the Lexington and Cynthiana Limestone Formations of the Inner Bluegrass Physiographic Region. (Kentucky Soil Atlas; by Anastasios D. Karathanasis, University of Kentucky)
Landscape: Bluegrass soils are on nearly level to moderately steep uplands. Slopes are commonly 0 to 12 percent, but range up to 20 percent. The underlying limestone is cavernous and some areas have karst topography.
The Bluegrass series consists of very deep, well drained, moderately permeable soils that formed in silty material over residuum weathered from phosphatic limestone. These soils are on uplands.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, active, mesic Typic Paleudalfs
Thickness of the solum ranges from 60 to 120 inches or more. Thickness of the argillic horizon ranges from 50 to 100 inches. Depth to bedrock ranges from 60 to 200 inches or more. Chert fragments, less than 3 inches in diameter, range from 0 to 5 percent in the 2Bt, 2BC and 2C horizons. The reaction of the Ap, A and Bt horizons range from neutral to strongly acid; the 2Bt, 2BC and 2C horizons range from slightly acid to strongly acid. The phosphate content in the solum is variable but is typically medium or high.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used for crops; such as burley tobacco, corn, small grains, alfalfa, and for pasture. Bluegrass and white clover are the most common pasture plants. Native vegetation was dominated by oaks, elm, ash, black walnut, black and honey locust, hackberry, black cherry, and Kentucky coffee tree. Glades of native grasses and canes were reported by early settlers.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Inner Bluegrass Region of Kentucky. The Bluegrass series was previously included with the Maury series or the Sandview series, phosphatic substratum phase.
For additional information about Kentucky soils, visit:
uknowledge.uky.edu/pss_book/4/
For a detailed soil description, visit:
soilseries.sc.egov.usda.gov/OSD_Docs/B/BLUEGRASS.html
For acreage and geographic distribution, visit:
casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/see/#bluegrass