Virginia is a four-season state. August days can be - on the average - hot and humid, while January days can be cold and dry. The warmth in the air in early Spring, and the chill in the air in the Fall, feel different from other seasons. That's the climate pattern.
A hydric soil is a soil that is saturated, flooded, or ponded long enough during the growing season to develop anaerobic conditions in the upper part. 1  This definition can be broken up into three component parts: 2  The soil is saturated, flooded or ponded. Saturated conditions are often the result of a high water table.
Soil is essential for plant growth for several reasons. Soil provides plant roots with nutrients, water and air. Soil also serves to anchor the plant. There are different types of soil, and it is very common to find the foundation soil around your house to differ from your property line soil. Soil is comprised of three mineral particle sizes: sand, silt and clay. Large, course mineral particles are sand, fine mineral particles are silt, and very fine mineral particles are clay. An ideal soil is composed of 45 percent mineral (sand, silt and clay), five percent organic material (humus or plant debris and soil organisms), 25 percent water and 25 percent air.