LOCATION GROWTON MN+MIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Aquic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Growton sandy loam with a west-facing convex slope of 2 percent in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 7 inches; black (10YR 2/1) sandy loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak medium granular structure; friable; about 5 percent gravel; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 9 inches thick)
E--7 to 11 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) sandy loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) and light gray (10YR 7/2) dry; weak medium platy structure; friable; about 5 percent gravel; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (4 to 14 inches thick)
BE--11 to 14 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam; many medium distinct dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) and prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) mottles; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; about 5 percent gravel; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
Bt1--14 to 27 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) sandy loam; many medium prominent reddish gray (5YR 5/2) mottles; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common moderately thick dark brown (7.5YR 4/2 and 3/2) clay films on faces of peds and voids; about 10 percent gravel; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary. (7 to 18 inches thick)
Bt2--27 to 37 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) sandy loam; common medium prominent reddish gray (5YR 5/2) and distinct reddish brown (5YR 5/3) mottles; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; common moderately thick and thin dark brown (7.5YR 4/2 and 3/2) clay films on faces of peds and voids; about 10 percent gravel; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
Bk--37 to 60 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam; common medium faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; massive; friable; few soft masses of lime; slight effervescence; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Stearns County, Minnesota, about 1 mile west and 3/4 of a mile north of Opole; 380 feet west and 1,400 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 1, T. 126 N., R. 30 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to free carbonates is typically 24 to 60 inches. Rock fragments range from 5 to 20 percent by volume in parts of the solum. Most of the fragments are gravel size with some cobblestones and occasional boulders present. They are of mixed lithology but mostly igneous. A horizons in some pedons contain as little as 2 percent rock fragments.
The A or Ap horizon has value of 2 or 3 (4 or 5 dry), and chroma of 1 or 2. It is sandy loam or fine sandy loam. It is strongly acid to neutral.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loamy sand or loamy fine sand. It is neutral to strongly acid. Some pedons have thin B & A horizons as expressed by ped coatings and interfingering.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR, 7.5YR, or 5YR; value of 3 to 5; and chroma of 2 to 4. In pedons having matrix chroma greater than 2 there is some mottling with chroma of 2 or less in peds or on faces of peds within the upper 10 inches of the Bt. It is sandy loam, fine sandy, or loam. Clay content ranges from 8 to 18 percent. It has few to many thin or moderately thick dark brown clay films on faces of peds and voids. It is strongly acid to slightly alkaline.
The Bk horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR and less commonly 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 to 6. It is sandy loam or loam with thin coarser textured strata common. It is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. Some pedons do not have Bk horizons. Some pedons have BC and/or C horizons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Brainerd, Karlstad, Mora, and Solona series. Brainerd and Mora soils do not have free carbonates within the series control section. Karlstad soils have sandy 2C horizons within the series control section. Solona soils do not have a Bk horizon and have an argillic horizon ranging from neutral to moderately alkaline.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Growton soils are on glacial ground moraines and drumlins with convex and concave simple slopes. The slope gradient is 0 to 4 percent. The soils formed in calcareous sandy loam and loam glacial till. The mean annual temperature is from 37 to 45 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 24 to 33 inches. Frost-free days range from 90 to 145. Elevation above sea level ranges from 670 to 1475 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are primarily the Heyder, Holdingford, and Prebish soils. The well drained Heyder soils do not have a mollic epipedon. The well drained Holdingford soils and the very poorly drained Prebish soils are in a hydrosequence with Growton soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained and somewhat poorly drained. Runoff is slow to medium. Permeability is moderate. The apparent water table ranges from 3 to 5 feet during April to June in most years for the moderately well drained phase and 1.5 to 3 feet for the somewhat poorly drained phase.
USE AND VEGETATION: Growton soils primarily are cropped to corn, hay, and small grains. The remainder is in forest or wooded pasture. Dominant species are elm, ash, oak, and basswood. Native vegetation was grass prairie which later were succeeded by mixed hardwood forest.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Growton soils are of small extent in central Minnesota.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Anoka County, Minnesota, 1972.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 11 inches (Ap & E horizon); argillic horizon - the zone from about 14 to 37 inches (Bt horizons); aquic subgroup - mottles with chroma of 2 or less within upper part of argillic horizon.