It’s summertime and the watering is easy! Or is it?
Garden Week Thirteen 7/3/2018
It’s summertime and the watering is easy! Or is it?
“My fake plants died because I did not pretend to water them.” – Mitch Hedberg.
With the summers heat coming on, it’s more important than ever to water the plants appropriately. Too much water can rot the root, too little can destress the plants. Understanding the soils and its relationship with water can help us to maintain a healthy water balance for the plants and the health of the soil.
At the beginning of the season, we determined what type of soil was in the garden. Because we know our soil type, we can determine how much and how often to water.
Clay – is a greedy soil, which has lots of room for water, but doesn’t necessarily share water with the plants and restricts airflow. This is because clay soils have lots of pores which are not well connected, making it difficult for the water to be released to plants and limits root access to oxygen. Therefore, heavy watering less often will fill the capillary and allow the water to release over time preventing waterlogged plants and benefiting respiration. Adding sand and organic matter will help to balance water and air flow and nutrients.
Loam – requires less water more frequently than clay soils, happily shares water with the plants and allows airflow. Loamy soils are comprised of nearly equal amounts of clay, sand and silt, varying by degree of sand, silt and clay in the soil. Here in SE Idaho we tend to have basic soil or a pH balance above 7 pH. The more organic matter in soil the more acidic the soil. If you are lucky enough to have loamy soil, adding organic matter will help to balance the soil.
Sandy – might be compared to a sieve, allowing the water to flow through so quickly plants may not get access to enough water. due to the sieve nature of sandy soil, more frequent, shorter watering’s are advised. Adding clay and organic matter will help to balance water retention, air flow and nutrients access.
If you think of soil as a sponge; the sponge which is dry must be briefly wetted to open the capillary, pores or spaces between particles of silt, clay and/or sand. The capillaries are then filled with water. The particles, space or connectedness between the capillary determine the release of the water. As the water releases, the soil becomes ridged and restricts root migration.
Knowing your soil and needs of the plants will help in deciding whether to use sprinklers, drip lines, or flood irrigation.
