Does it matter how wet my soil is?

Plant roots need some air around them and can't survive in waterlogged soil. Clay soil holds more moisture than sandy soil due to the smaller clay particles that have less space between them for water to drain away easily. Some plants grow happily in waterlogged soil but nearly all vegetables will die when grown this way. 

So what can you do about waterlogged soil?

Waterlogged soil is a problem that needs to be fixed before you try growing vegetables in it. If possible, raising the soil profile by adding a mix of composts and manures above the soil level and letting it break down to form a new soil layer can be a good idea. Planting into raised mounds or even raised garden beds like this will allow water to drain away through the new soil. Most vegetables need 30cm of soil to grow in so make sure the mound is at least this deep. You may also be able to dig drainage ditches or gutters to allow water to flow away from the raised bed. Adding sand and mixing it in with the clay can create a permanent solution to the drainage problem but is a lot of work. Just be sure to fix the problem one way or another before you plant for best results. 

Still to come

Next time I will talk about the importance of drainage for growing vegetables. 

This week's recipe links

Braised Indian Chickpea Stew from Rainbow Plant Life. 

Easy Spinach and Garlic Rice from Easy Cheesy Vegetarian. 

Silverbeet and Chickpea Puttanesca from Delicious. 

Chickpea Arugula Quinoa Salad from Ambitious Kitchen. 

More info

To read more about what's happening on our local organic farm this week as we grow and care for veggies for our box delivery, check out this week's newsletter here.