LOCATION PUHI HIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Very-fine, ferruginous, isohyperthermic Humic Kandiustox
TYPICAL PEDON: Puhi silty clay loam - sugarcane. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted. All textures are "apparent field textures.")
Ap--0 to 12 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) silty clay loam, same color when rubbed, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; common interstitial pores; many gritty particles that are hard to break down; delayed effervescence with hydrogen peroxide; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (11 to 14 inches thick)
B21--12 to 21 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) silty clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) dry; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; many very fine pores, common fine pores; nearly continuous shiny glaze on peds patchy clay film-like coatings on some peds; medium acid (pH 5.9); gradual smooth boundary. (7 to 11 inches thick)
B22--21 to 33 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) silty clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) dry; moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and very fine roots; many very fine pores, common fine pores; nearly continuous shiny glaze on peds; common black specks; patchy clay film-like coatings on some peds; stringy coatings of stronger chroma; slightly acid (pH 6.1); gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 14 inches thick)
B23--33 to 41 inches; dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) silty clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) dry; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; few fine roots; many very fine pores, common medium pores; continuous shiny glaze on peds; patchy clay film-like coatings on peds; many shiny particles, many very fine black specks; medium acid (pH 6.0); gradual smooth boundary, (6 to 9 inches thick)
B24--41 to 60 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) silty clay, yellowish red (5YR 4/8) dry; strong very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; many very fine and fine pores, common medium pores; continuous shiny glaze on peds; many very fine black specks and shiny particles; medium acid (pH 6.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Island of Kauai, Kauai County, Hawaii; Kapaa Quadrangle; 22 degrees 01' 14" north latitude and 159 degrees 23' 8.1" west longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature is about 73 degrees F. The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 2 through 4, and chroma of 2 through 4. The B horizon has hue of 2.5YR through 7.5YR, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 3 or 4.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Hanamaula, Kappa, Lawai, Makapili and Pooku series. Hanamaula, Lawai and Makapili soils have an umbric epipedon. Kapaa and Pooku soils contain nodules or sheets containing more than 30 percent gibbsite.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Puhi soils are on uplands at elevations ranging from 175 to 500 feet. The dominant slopes are 3 to 15 percent. The soils formed in material weathered from basic igneous rocks. Average annual rainfall is 60 to 80 inches, of which about two-thirds falls from October to March. Average January temperature is about 69 degrees F., average July temperature is about 76 degrees F., and mean annual temperature is about 73 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ioleau and Lihue soils and the competing Kapaa soils. Ioleau soils have very compact subsoils. Lihue soils have an ustic moisture regime and an appreciable supply of bases.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very slow to rapid runoff, depending upon slope; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for production of sugarcane, truck crops, orchard. Vegetation on nonculitivated areas is dominantly guava (Psidium guayana), java plum (Eugenia cumini), pangolagrass (Digitaria decumbens), kikuyugrass (Pennisetum clandestinum); other vegetation is elephantopus (Elephantopus tomentosus), joee (Stachytarpheta cayannensis), yellow foxtail (Setaria geniculata), and rhodomyrtus (Rhodomyrtus tomentosa).
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Island of Kauai, Hawaii. The series is of about 12,000 acres extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Maui County, Island of Maui, Hawaii, 1949.
OSED scanned by SSQA. Last revised by state on 5/78.