In spring you might find that your vegetable garden soil is too wet from winter rains and snow. If the soil is too muddy, it is not suitable for planting out because seeds are most likely to rot. So, you might be wondering why your soil is too muddy and what can you do about it.
Soil mostly consist of solid particles like sand, silt, clay and organic matter. The rest is pore space. Pore space is an area around the solid particles. It consists of equal parts of water and air. Moreover, the pore space is used for plant roots as well as is occupied by beneficial bacteria and organisms that promote healthy plant growth.
For example, earthworms that break down plant residues into organic matter. So when soil looses air it becomes compacted making it difficult to drain water. If you walk on the soil, it lacks organic matter or if the soil is clay heavy, all of the above can result in muddy soil.
Ideal soil consist of 50% solid particles, 25% water and 25% air. When it is raining for prolonged period of time or you work the soil when it is too wet, soil loses air in pore spaces and becomes compacted. Plants don’t grow well in compacted and wet soil as plant roots also need oxygen for growth.
When is soil too wet for planting?
The quickest way to check if the soil is ready for planting is to step on it and if the footprint is shiny, the soil is too wet. Also, you can take the soil and squeeze it. If you can form a ball that stays together and mold to the shape of your fingers, the soil is too wet.
How to dry wet soil fast?
If you overwatered potting soil and want it to dry fast, remove the plant and wait for water from soil to stop dripping. Then take a few newspapers and pour and spread the soil on it. Move to the area with more light and you can also switch on a fan and direct it at the soil. That way dry potting soil will dry faster. When the soil is dry, move it back to the pot.
If your garden soil is too wet and you want to dry it fast, add 6 inches of dry organic matter. It can be compost, animal manure, leaves, grass and wood chips. Let it sit on the soil for a couple of days. Dry organic matter will absorb excess moisture in the muddy garden soil and dry it faster.
How to harden dirt or muddy soil?
First of all, you need to do a soil test to determine with what type of soil you are dealing with. This test will show the proportions of minerals in your soil whether is it mainly sand, clay or silt. Based on the test results you can add amendments.
Most of the time clay soil tends to stay muddy after rains. So, to improve muddy soil you need to dig trenches near muddy garden soil to drain the excess water. Then, cover the soil with wood chips and leaves for a few days until mud dries out completely.
Never start working with soil when it is still wet as it will compact the soil and decrease the plant growth. Although it is not possible to change the texture of the soil, you can improve it with amendments. So, after a few days you need to till the dry organic material 8 to 12 inches down the soil.
Cultivating loosens compacted soil and mixes organic matter with the existing soil increasing pore space. Wood chips do wonders on clay soil, but you have to be patient. The results will show up in a couple of years. If you don’t want to wait for the existing soil to improve, a good solution is to build a raised garden bed.
Drainage plays an important part in improving muddy garden soil. Digging a 1 ft by 1 ft trench around the garden gradually deeper will ensure that water drains in one direction. Although a French drain is more effective, installing it can be time-consuming and not necessary. However, if you are growing in a greenhouse, you need to ensure good drainage.
Whether you need a drainage system and if so, what system to build depends on the foundation of the greenhouse. If you are growing directly in the ground, covering the pathway with gravel should be enough. Moreover, how well water is going to drain depends on the type of soil in your garden. To ensure a good drainage, check out what soil is the best for growing in a greenhouse.
Is Gypsum good for clay soil?
Gypsum is naturally occurring mineral – calcium sulfate. It is a common belief that gypsum is good for improving clay soil, however it can improve clay soil structure, the effect will last for a few months. Also, it is not good to use gypsum for clay soil that is acidic as it can lead to magnesium deficiency in plants.
So, the best way to improve muddy soil is adding compost. You can make a compost yourself or if you don’t want to wait, you can buy it online. We make compost ourselves as it helps to utilize garden and kitchen waste. Depending on what method you choose (cold or hot) you can have ready compost in 6 months or 2 years.
