Re: Root-limiting layers

By a similar reasoning, strongly contrasting layers (fine loamy over sandy) should not be considered root limiting. There may be some sort of hydrotropic reasoning for this depending on plant species, but there is no actual barrier to penetrating the layer. There are some states in the US for which this is considered root restrictive, while across the border in another state, the same soil is not recognize as restrictive. Upon our office's attempt at cleaning up discrepancies across political boundaries, we've encountered local resistance to eliminating strongly contrasting layers as a restrictive layer from the national soils database.