Charlottetown soil series is the name given to a deep fine

sandy loam Loam (in geology and soil science) is soil composed mostly of sand (particle size > ), silt (particle size > ), and a smaller amount of clay (particle size < ). By weight, its mineral composition is about 40–40–20% concentration of sand–si ...

soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, water, and organisms that together support the life of plants and soil organisms. Some scientific definitions distinguish dirt from ''soil'' by re ...

which has developed under

forest A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense ecological community, community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, ...

vegetation on

glacial till image:Geschiebemergel.JPG, Closeup of glacial till. Note that the larger grains (pebbles and gravel) in the till are completely surrounded by the matrix of finer material (silt and sand), and this characteristic, known as ''matrix support'', is d ...

. This series occurs only on

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island is an island Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. While it is the smallest province by land area and population, it is the most densely populated. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", ...

, where it is widespread and so important for

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

that it has been designated as the Provincial Soil. This soil is an Orthic Humo-Ferric

Podzol Podzols, also known as podosols, spodosols, or espodossolos, are the typical soils of coniferous or boreal forests and also the typical soils of eucalypt forests and heathlands in southern Australia. In Western Europe, podzols develop on heathlan ...

in the Canadian soil classification system. It has good moisture-holding capacity and is well drained. It warms quickly in the spring; this is an important virtue in a region where spring comes late. It is easy to work and is not excessively stony. Few other Podzols, or other Prince Edward Island soils, have the same desirable traits as the Charlottetown. Like all Podzols, the Charlottetown is strongly acidic unless it is limed. It is largely used to grow

potato The potato () is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground stem tubers of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'', a perennial in the nightshade famil ...

es, which depend on the Charlottetown's natural acidity to produce scab-free yields. It is also noted for its vivid red color for which Prince Edward Island is famous.

References

Info PEI: Provincial Soil

{{DEFAULTSORT:Charlottetown (Soil Series) Pedology Agriculture in Canada Geography of Prince Edward Island Types of soil