Specifications for Soil Mixture for General Landscaping Use

Specifications for Soil Mixture for General Landscaping Use
CS A03: 2013

Formerly CS A01:2009 (Specifications for Soil Mixture for General Landscaping Use) and CS A02:2009 (Specifications for Composts and Mulches).

Seems that the Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology (CUGE) have combined the earlier two standards into one. CS A03: 2013 sells for S$10 incl. GST at the Singapore Botanic Gardens Shop.

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Changes from CS A01:2009 and CS A02:2009 to CS A03: 2013
1.3    Definitions, page 7 -> 1.3    Definitions, page 6

Addition of definitions of Soil Quality, Top Soil, Bioassay, Soil pH, Foreign Matter
Transfer of definitions of Pasteurisation, Compost Maturity, Plant Propagule, Mulch

Added section on soil profile in CS A03: 2013
1.4    Soil Profile, page 9

i.e., O horizon, A horizon, B horizon, C horizon, R horizon

No change from CS A01:2009 to CS A03: 2013
1.4    Soil Texture Classification, page 8 -> 1.5    Soil Texture Classification, page 8

Addition from CS A01:2009 to CS A03: 2013
1.5    Limits of the Various Classes of Soil Texture, page 9 -> 1.6    Various Classes of Soil Texture, page 11

Composition of sand, silt and clay of different soil textural class.

Changes from CS A01:2009 to CS A03: 2013
2.4    Soil Mix Composition, page 18 -> 2.1 Soil Mix Composition, page 12

CS A03: 2013 omitted soil mix composition for "general landscape uses which requires soil mix with higher porosity", and changed the soil mix composition for "general landscape applications" to 3 parts top soil, 2 parts compost and 1 part sand "by dry weight", as opposed to 3 parts clay loam, 2 parts compost and 1 part sand "by volume" in CS A01:2009.

CS A03: 2013 added a note that mixture of ASM by volume (as it was in CS A01:2009) applies only when the components have similar bulk densities. But they do not, as show below (units in g/cm3).

• Clay loam: 1.45-1.55 [UFL IFAS]
• Silt loam: 1.4 - 1.55 [UFL IFAS]
• Sand loam: 1.55-1.75 [UFL IFAS]
• Top soil: 1.0 - 1.4 [CS A03: 2013]
• Compost (depends on type): 0.4 - 0.6 [CS A03: 2013]
• Sand, wet : 1.9
• Sand, wet, packed: 2                           
• Sand, dry :1.6 [this figure is used in CS A03: 2013, page 11]
• Sand, loose :1.45

*UFL IFAS - http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/woody/critical-value.shtml, last modified 27 Feb 2015, accessed on 11 Mar 2018.

CS A03: 2013 continues the note with "However in practice, while mixing the top soil for ASM, soil weight should be based on the moisture content of the soil". Does it mean that the moisture content of the sand and compost components should match the moisture content of the top soil before mixing?

Changes from CS A01:2009 and addition to CS A03: 2013
2.1 Soil Mix Specifications - Physical and Chemical Requirements, page 10 -> 2.1.3  Approved Soil Mix Specification, page 16

Changed values in C:N Ratio, Bulk Density, CEC, Pathogens
Added value in Moisture Content
Deleted Permeability, Heavy Metal Concentration, Organic Contaminants

Added section to CS A03: 2013
2.1.1    Top Soil Specifications - Physical and Chemical Requirements, page 12

Changes from CS A02:2009 and addition to CS A03: 2013
2.4    Physical and Chemical Requirements, page 10 -> 2.1.2    Compost Specifications - Physical and Chemical Requirements

Deleted column for "Mulch"
Added value for Bulk Density
Changed values for Particle Size, Foreign Matter / Physical Contaminents, Pest insects / Invertebrates

Added section in CS A03: 2013
2.1.2.1    Feedstocks for Composting, page 15

Changes from CS A01:2009 to CS A03: 2013
2.2 Soil Sampling, page 16 -> 2.2 Soil Sampling, page 11

Deletion of Definition of Landscape Management Unit and Site Analysis
Addition to Number of Samples within a Landscape Management Unit
Added Representative Sampling

Changes from CS A01:2009 to CS A03: 2013
2.5 Soil Mixing, page 18 -> 2.3 Soil Mixing, page 17

Deletion from CS A01:2009 to CS A03: 2013
2.6 Basic Tools, page 19

No change in CS A01:2009 to CS A03: 2013
Section 3 - Marking and Documentation -> Section 3 - Marking and Documentation

Not common in practice.

Deletion from CS A02:2009 to CS A03: 2013
2.2 Process Criteria, page 9
2.3 Storage and Protection, page 9
2.6 Product Sampling, page 11
2.7 Application in the field, page 12

Describes how composting should be done and how long it should be composted.
Describes how finished product (matured compost) should be protected from contamination.
Describes how representative samples should be collected.
Describes how compost is used as a soil organic amendment (component of soil mix) and mulch.