Testing Soil for Excess Water
This summer has been unseasonably wet, and it looks like a shower or two could pass through the area this weekend. Too much water can devastate plants. While we can’t control the weather, we can control how much we water our plants.
Looking at a garden’s soil, it’s not that easy to tell if the soil is saturated with water (unless of course it rained and flooded your garden). Fortunately, there is a simple way to tell if the soil in your garden has too much water.
The last time Jeanne Nolan and The Organic Gardener crew visited our garden, they taught me a simple way to tell if our garden is being overwatered.
Roll up your sleeves, because you’re going to get your hands dirty.
Begin by placing your index finger into the soil, knuckle deep.
“You do this to make sure the soil is not soppy wet,” Adrienne Detanico said.
Next, you do the ball test. Take a handful of soil and squeeze it in your hand, forming a ball. When you release your grip, the soil should maintain its shape.
“If [the soil] is dripping wet or there’s mud in your hand, there’s too much water,” Detanico said.
If you fail the ball test, take a day off from watering and then check it again.
