RAINY DAZE

June 5, 2016

It's not that I don't love sunshine, I do--especially at the beach. As much as I love sunshine, some of my favorite days are overcast and rainy, like today. Everything seems to wind down and relax while we wait for the weather to clear. The rain provides a blissful break from dragging buckets of water and water hoses around the garden.

As gardeners know, the best watering comes naturally from a deep soaking rain. How much rain is enough for the average garden? The answer depends less on checking the rain gauge and more on the depth of penetration/rate of absorption by the soil. Soil composition makes a difference in water absorption and retention.

Soil is composed of varying ratios of sand, silt, and clay. Water rapidly drains through, and is poorly absorbed by sandy soil. Afternoon summer showers in Florida help maintain the lush tropical foliage. Clay particles, hold moisture much longer than silt or sand. So, in spite of the many complaints against heavy red clay soil, there are some advantages: clay retains moisture and is nutrient rich.

A simple check for soil composition can be done by placing a sample of soil in a glass container and adding an equal amount of water--thoroughly mix. Let the sample sit until it completely stratifies to see the amount of clay (smallest particle) at the top followed by silt and sand (largest particle)at the bottom.

The slope and surface of the soil also affect the rate of water absorption. During drought conditions the soil surface can become quite dry and resistant to taking up water. If the ground is sloped, the water runs off before it has time to penetrate the surface. Tree canopies and root competition also create challenges for thirsty plants. During dry spells I've prematurely celebrated  when it rains, only later to discover the rain barely moistened the top 1/4 inch of soil--hardly enough to reach the feeder roots, which are in the top 18 inches of soil.

Perhaps the best gauge are the plants themselves. A plant that is not getting enough water will wilt. Keep in mind that over watering and/or root rot can also cause a plant to wilt. Before watering a wilted plant, check the root zone to confirm that it is dry. Water and if it bounces back, water was the correct response. Apart from new plantings, our annual vegetable garden, and container plantings, I do not water until something is literally dying of thirst.

On rainy days, not only do gardeners get a break from watering the garden, we can stay indoors and enjoy some R&R. We don't, after all, feel much obligation to dusting the house--not our thing. We've developed a blissful condition known among gardeners as 'dust blindness.'

Ahh, rainy daze.

[Carolyn Fjeran, LowTide explorer/reflective writer; horticulturist & gardener; former writer for Cooperative Extension Service, Master Gardeners and The Newnan Times Herald]