Maine Garden Ideas
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How to Test Soil Drainage

Picture
by Alix Moore/Flickr
Even a novice gardener knows that soil needs to drain well for plants to thrive. What most of us don't know is how to measure the drainage rate of our soil - or what that rate should be. You can assess the drainage rate of your soil quickly and easily with nothing more than a large can and spade.

  • Remove the top and bottom of a 46-ounce aluminum can. You can typically find these cans in the juice aisle of your grocery store.
  • Did a hole to a depth of four inches in the area where you wish to assess the drainage rate.
  • Insert the can in the hole. Back fill around the can with fresh soil, pressing it against the can to secure the can in place.
  • Fill the can to the rim with fresh water.
  • Measure the amount of water that has drained through the bottom of the can in one hour.
The water level should drop approximately two inches in well-drained soil. If it drops less than an inch, your soil is likely to become waterlogged after rains. If the water drops more than four to five inches, your soil drains too quickly.

To correct soil that drains poorly, dig and loosen the soil to a depth of eight to ten inches. Dense, compact soil does not allow water to penetrate and cannot drain properly. This is often the result of soil compaction or high clay content. Adding organic matter improves the texture and promotes good soil drainage. If the area is sunken, build the soil up to a slighted raised mound to prevent water from collecting in the area after rains.

Ironically, the solution to soil that drains too quickly is also adding organic matter. This improves the water-holding capacity of gravely or sandy soil. Good sources of organic matter include compost, aged manure or leaf mold. Work it in well with the existing soil with a garden spade or garden tiller.

Test the soil in all areas of your yard for drainage before planting as considerable variations can exist within your yard. For severe problems with drainage, add organic matter to the soil in the fall and allow it to work its magic as microbes go to work improving the soil.


Copyright © 2014 Nannette Richford



  • Home
  • Garden Thyme Blog
  • Themes
    • Butterfly Gardens
    • Moon Gardens
    • Sensory Gardens
    • All About Fairies
  • Flowers
    • Annual Flowers >
      • Alyssum
      • Cosmos
      • Geraniums
      • Marigolds
      • Morning Glories
      • Nasturtiums
      • Petunias >
        • Reviving Petunias
      • Snapdragons
      • Sunflowers
      • Sweet Peas
      • Zinnias
    • Perennial Flowers >
      • Golden Glow (Rudbeckia laciniata ‘Hortensia’)
      • Lupines
      • Purple Coneflower (Echinacea Purpurea)
    • Maine Wildflowers
  • Veggies
    • Warm Season Vegetables >
      • Beans >
        • Growing Beans
        • Growing Pole Beans
        • How to Make a Teepee Trellis
      • About Corn >
        • Growing Corn
        • What is Baby Corn, anyway?
        • Can you grow corn in containers?
      • Cucumbers >
        • Grow a cucumber in a bottle
        • Growing Pickling Cucumbers
        • Growing cucamelons (Mexican Gherkin)
        • Why do cucumbers blossom but fail to set fruit?
        • Trellising Cucumbers
        • Making Cucumber Relish
        • Powdery Mildew on Cucumbers
      • Melons
      • Peppers >
        • Growing Peppers
      • Squash >
        • Growing Zucchini
        • Spaghetti Squash
      • Tomatoes >
        • How to Harden Off Tomato Plants
        • How (and when) to Prune Tomatoes
        • Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salt) for Tomatoes
        • Blossom End Rot in Tomatoes
        • Growing Cherry Tomatoes in Hanging Baskets
        • 4 Best Tomatoes for Short Seasons - Early Tomatoes
        • 5 Early Maturing Tomatoes for Short Season Gardening
        • How to Ripen Green Tomatoes
        • How to Make Sun-Dried Tomatoes at Home
        • Grow Your Own Amazing Pomato Plant - Tomatoes on the Top and Potatoes on the Bottom
    • Cool Season Vegetables >
      • Cole Crops
      • Greens >
        • How to Grow Spinach
        • How to Grow Malabar Spinach
        • How to Grow Swiss Chard
        • Harvesting and Cooking Beet Greens
        • How to Grow Microgreens
      • Onions & Garlic >
        • How to Grow Garlic
        • How to Grow Onions
      • Peas >
        • Growing Garden (shelling) Peas
        • Growing Sugar Snap Peas
      • Potatoes >
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Containers
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Hay Bales
      • Root Crops >
        • Growing Beets
        • How to Grow Carrots
  • Herbs
    • Growing Basil
    • Growing Chives
    • Growing Lavender
    • Herbal Tea Garden
    • How to Grow a Culinary Herb Garden
    • How to Grow Herbs in Sponges
    • Colonial Herb Garden - Classroom Project
    • Herbed Butter
    • Making Herbed Oils
  • Gardening Basics
    • Seed Starting Basics
    • Grafting Basics
    • Soil >
      • Starting a New Garden
      • How to Prepare Soil
      • How to Test Soil Drainage
      • What Type of Soil Do You Have
      • Soil Mix Recipe for Containers
      • How to Make Compost Tea
      • How to Use Mulch
      • Control Blister Beetles
  • Birds
    • Hummingbirds >
      • DIY Hummingbird Feeders from Recycled Bottles
      • Annuals for Hummingbird Gardens
      • Perennials for Hummingbird Gardens
    • About Birdseed
    • Choosing a Birdfeeder
  • Fiddleheads and Fairies
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • How to Marinate Roasted Vegetables