Drought Insurance
Here in Middle Tennessee, it seems to happen every Summer… a “heat wave high pressure” weather system sets in over the Southeast, and we spend anywhere from two weeks to a month at 95+ degrees, with no rain in sight.
Of the many stress factors that can negatively impact the health and performance of garden plants, drought often tops the list. Fortunately, gardeners can provide their own “insurance” against drought, by incorporating quality organic matter into the soil. In fact, if your soil is lacking organic matter, you may find that you can eliminate (or at least greatly reduce) the need to water your garden, once a sufficient humus level is achieved.
Sound too good to be true? It might, until you consider that humus has an amazing sponge-like ability to store water. According to the WikiBooks article Horticulture/The Benefits of Compost, mature compost (humus) can hold up to 200 times its weight in water. And, as you may recall from our UT Master Gardener handbook, a 1% increase in organic matter will double the water holding capacity of soil. Impressive, to say the least!
As more demand is placed on finite water resources, some municipalities are taking action to encourage gardeners to add organic matter to their soils as a means of conserving water. The Denver Water utility knows the score; here’s some of the information provided to their customers online at DenverWater.org … “How much water you use is linked to the percentage of organic matter in your soil. Healthy plants in a moist bed rich in organic material need watering less frequently.”
According to Denver Water, a 1’ x 10’ row of “average” Denver soil, 6 inches in depth, will weigh 100 pounds. If one pound of compost is added, the soil will hold an additional 33 pounds (4 gallons) of water. Add another five pounds of compost, and the soil would then hold nearly 200 pounds (25 gallons) of water.
So, think about a typical 10 foot row or section of your garden. How much water do you normally apply there between rain events? ... a couple of gallons? … 10 to 20 gallons? … even more than that? If your soil is low in organic matter, there is great potential to drastically reduce the chore of watering, simply by amending the soil with compost.
Granted, as far as gardening is concerned, it doesn’t take much to excite me, but I find that very exciting indeed!
by Mark Murphy, CMG
[this article originally appeared in the
Rutherford County Master Gardener Association newsletter.]
Of the many stress factors that can negatively impact the health and performance of garden plants, drought often tops the list. Fortunately, gardeners can provide their own “insurance” against drought, by incorporating quality organic matter into the soil. In fact, if your soil is lacking organic matter, you may find that you can eliminate (or at least greatly reduce) the need to water your garden, once a sufficient humus level is achieved.
Sound too good to be true? It might, until you consider that humus has an amazing sponge-like ability to store water. According to the WikiBooks article Horticulture/The Benefits of Compost, mature compost (humus) can hold up to 200 times its weight in water. And, as you may recall from our UT Master Gardener handbook, a 1% increase in organic matter will double the water holding capacity of soil. Impressive, to say the least!
As more demand is placed on finite water resources, some municipalities are taking action to encourage gardeners to add organic matter to their soils as a means of conserving water. The Denver Water utility knows the score; here’s some of the information provided to their customers online at DenverWater.org … “How much water you use is linked to the percentage of organic matter in your soil. Healthy plants in a moist bed rich in organic material need watering less frequently.”
According to Denver Water, a 1’ x 10’ row of “average” Denver soil, 6 inches in depth, will weigh 100 pounds. If one pound of compost is added, the soil will hold an additional 33 pounds (4 gallons) of water. Add another five pounds of compost, and the soil would then hold nearly 200 pounds (25 gallons) of water.
So, think about a typical 10 foot row or section of your garden. How much water do you normally apply there between rain events? ... a couple of gallons? … 10 to 20 gallons? … even more than that? If your soil is low in organic matter, there is great potential to drastically reduce the chore of watering, simply by amending the soil with compost.
Granted, as far as gardening is concerned, it doesn’t take much to excite me, but I find that very exciting indeed!
by Mark Murphy, CMG
[this article originally appeared in the
Rutherford County Master Gardener Association newsletter.]
