How to Test Soil Drainage

[@Alliemmcc123]

I really appreciate how you break down the science as well as the mathematical part. It helps me really get it, so thank you!

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome Allie!

[@naomiledger1374]

I really need to do these tests on my so-called soil before I make any further inroads with my plans for my food garden. My block (and all the blocks on my small street) are tiered so we all have retaining walls and parts of my land is sloped. It also means that not too far beneath the ground surface is a lot of rock. It's a nightmare to dig into. But I should test in various parts of my garden to establish exactly what I'm dealing with down there before I do any major planting. I knew the sloped areas would be great for fruit trees and so forth but hadn't thought about the potential benefits for my veggie beds. Another very helpful video, thank you. 😊

[@growitbuildit]

This is a really good test to do, as it forces you to understand drainage in general, and gives you the results as to what you are dealing with. Root rot is a real problem, and best to know if that is a risk or not.

[@stevecole6485]

Thanks for taking the time to put out this content. God bless your garden 🪴

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Steve - you too man.

[@robertlong9963]

Another great video and tutorial. Come spring I’ll be digging a number of holes around my property and using your methodology I will be able to ascertain the best location for planting my vegetable garden. My soil is mostly red clay and I’ve used commercial compost for amending it so far. After watching your videos on composting and now drainage testing, will allow me to be in more control of my soil conditions. Thanks again!

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome! Also - remember that even if you have poor drainage, by improving your soil through top-dressing with compost or leaf mulch you will also improve your drainage. And sometimes it is better to not focus on improving a single space, but the entire area. What I mean is when you make your garden, if you dig your transplant holes deep and amend those with compost, without improving the surrounding soil, you may create a small bowl/sink effect, where your transplant hole may fill with water from the surrounding soil. So, try to improve the entire garden, not just a single hole.

[@quintindean7856]

Great video, Nicholas Cage! I well be doing this today!

[@growitbuildit]

Hopefully the water isn't gone in sixty seconds!

[@gogr2409]

Thanks! I appreciate your educational and well done videos

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you!

[@stevensparks19]

Thanks for this video. My partner and I just bought a house a few months ago and we have some raised beds (4 of them) that we plan to grow vegetables in. We used some crappy top soil from a big box store that ended up super compacted. After scouring a ton of your videos I think we’re going to experiment with procuring leaves and letting them break down on the raised beds and mixing it all together and seeing how that alters the soil inside over time. We had some calcium deficiency we could spot on our tomatoes that did grow in, so I’m curious if leaf mulching them will help. I believe they have about 18” of depth for soil so it should be more than enough to create something fun for experiment with.

[@growitbuildit]

Sounds good Steven - and I'm glad this video helped you out. In regards to tomatoes and calcium, there is some calcium in leaves. One study I found listed it as about 1.5% of the make up (see here - growitbuildit.com/amount-of-nutrients-in-fall-leaves/) I've never had to add extra calcium, but I can say that I use a lot of egg shells in my compost I make. And if you make a hot pile, the egg shells do break down pretty quickly. I really just use compost and leaves for my whole garden now, and have had great results.

[@treymurphy6398]

i love your video about winter composting too

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you! I'm glad you are finding these videos helpful

[@treymurphy6398]

@@growitbuildit very much so. theyre super informational. specially th winter compost one! i live in North East. started gardening and composting last year. i was using a garbagr can, but recently we bought our first house in October. ive made a two bin system and a third leaf mold bin. Now im doing our first in ground garden bed!!! we enjoyed the raised beds last year in apartmnt living. going to build some, however im excited to do an in ground bed. which brings me here.

[@treymurphy6398]

oh and the how to plan a garden

[@growitbuildit]

@@treymurphy6398 Excellent - make sure you watch my leaf mulch videos. That will be the absolute single best thing you could possibly do for your soil

[@MrOmarcal13]

Thanks for sharing this info. This video helped me a whole lot!!!

[@growitbuildit]

You are welcome Don. Glad I could help you out!

[@sandyg3772]

Thank you for the great detail. This is exactly what I needed.

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome Sandy. Glad you found it helpful!

[@teresathomley3703]

Thanks pal. Always enjoy these videos.👍

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome

[@d.leighannbatemon3192]

Wonderful video!! So glad I found your channel!!

[@growitbuildit]

I'm glad you found it too! I don't put out a ton of videos. But what I do make, I try to make it very useful/informative and of quality.

[@liiisannep4031]

Hello, thank you for your very informational videos. I’m a newbie and it’s been very helpful. My question is I am dealing with an area that was gardening at one time but also like a giant cat box that was not taken care of. I’ll leave it at that so I have been raking digging clearing for quite a while now, but they’re still there. It’s like layer after layer it’s crazy disgusting my question is do I just forfeit that area and do some raise beds or what do you suggest? Thank you.

[@growitbuildit]

Alright - are the cats still actively using it as a litterbox? If so, that needs to stop. But regarding the 'build up', I know there is a chance that their waste has parasites in it. I think you should contact your local ag extension office for advice on this situation (they've probably dealt w/ it before).

[@anitnec]

It seems that with the correct working on it , that soil could have a potential . Also the inorganic material with earthworms breaks out some minerals during time . You are doing right . There isn't probably a soil that is 'all bad' . Maybe some rocks have helped to not overcompact the particles . I have a soil different in colors but has (has had) some similarities . Enjoy also during Winter !

[@growitbuildit]

I agree with you - just about any soil has potential. Mine reclamation sites should that anything can regrow proper vegetation.

[@anitnec]

Thank you for the kind reply . As i said i have similarities with your soil and i have done the experiment repeated in two immediate intervals of few seconds between one and another but not like as you shown in the video . I have seen , for two consecutive quickly repeated immissions , water flowing down till disappear in half a minute . The hole was close to the perpendicular and more than 20 cms deep that's for sure . The Earth , the soil , at that point has already seen and 'feel' the wetness of the november rain although we were after mid month so not all the water till now . I think that my soil has no many risks of flooding. Really near the experiment i have bananaplants Dajiao Abb type . Sorry for the grammar eventually

[@gogr2409]

Great video as always, thank you. I also live in southern PA on a rural lot and the soil is full of rocks. I have no idea how the early settlers farmed! I take it you are on public sewer? Do you know how close you can plant vegetables to a septic leach field? There’s a downhill slope right next to the leach field but I hesitate to plant veggies there due to potential runoff.

[@growitbuildit]

Hi - I'm not sure I can answer your question as I am on a public sewer, as you suspect. I think I would probably give the county ag extension a call on that topic. They would have the experience and can get you a quick answer.

[@rosalindwingerter4325]

Thank you;great video I did your test and My soil drains too fast at five inches or more an hour , wondering how to slow it down! Grateful for any tips.

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Rosalind - the best thing you can do would be increase the amount of organic matter in your soil. Topdressing with large amounts of compost and leaf mulch would be a great start. But compost will help it retain moisture.

[@rosalindwingerter4325]

@@growitbuildit Thank you so very much; I shall do that.

[@KordTaylor]

Great video. Thank you! 👏🏻

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome Kord. I'm glad you found it helpful.

[@Raj-yy7xx]

I heard growing turnips as a cover crop for a period and chopping thier tops and letting them rot is really good for compacted soil. I've got teh same problem with soil compaction, but no rocks, just loadsa clay and sand.

[@growitbuildit]

I've not heard of that before. But honestly, it doesn't seem to be a real issue for me. It is most likely ok because of the slope, or from the soil improvement I've done using leaves over the years. But if you try it, could you let me know how it works out?

[@liaquattalash3262]

It works..I did it on a small area ...

[@stevegaines-vq3bd]

I'm in zone 6B, what's your zone...? i have hard pan & just hired a guy to dig 9 holes w/ his mini back ho & i have apple trees, Asian Persimmons & Chinese Chestnuts going in soon....I think i'll put a small bucket in the bottom of the hole, like Ellen White recomends, for an air pocket......then some gravel in the bottom of my holes, then add some amendments, then plant the trees on a slight mound....all of my trees are on a good slope, so i was glad to hear you mention that......I do not want my trees to die....

[@growitbuildit]

Hi - I'm on the border of zone 6 and 7. A slope will definitely help with drainage. I don't know if I would do the gravel, but some compost in the bottom of the hole would probably help.

[@kevindaniels4302]

I had a leak in my irrigation and i fixed it but what I noticed is that the ground is now squishy and sponge like.I dug it up again and then placed 3/4 inch rock plus dry dirt from around the property. My question is why was it squishy?

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Kevin - I think it sounds like you have poor draining soil. Most likely heavily compacted or some form of clay.

[@patriciasimons8494]

I have a pile that I Am working on but there is grass growing the soil is sandy what shall I do

[@growitbuildit]

I'm sorry but I do not understand your question.

[@hudson8865]

Thank you.

[@growitbuildit]

You are welcome.

[@christophers599]

Thank you so much for this great video. I plan to plant a few avocado trees and all articles point out how important a well-drained soil is for the trees since they are susceptible for root rot. Unfortunately none of the articles tell you what that exactly means. Do you have experience what soil drainage rate per hour is optimal for avocado trees?

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Christopher - I don't have any direct experience for Avocado trees and drainage rates. I would probably just default to the general guidelines, as if they stress 'well-drained' it usually means the plant is susceptible to root rot. You may want to check if Avocado has a taproot or lateral roots though, as some trees (Pawpaws) have taproots, it would be harder to overcome poor-draining soil with a root that went really deep. And thank you for the kind words! Glad you found the video helpful.

[@liaquattalash3262]

@@growitbuildityou are great work to educate people ... 90 percent of avocado feeding roots are on top 40cms. The anchoring root can go upto 1.5 meters.

[@HighIMan1ck]

I'm building terraced garden boxes on a steep graded slope, and my soil is high in clay. If I fill the boxes with soil that's a mix of clay/compost/topsoil, and the base of the boxes (under them) is mostly clay, will the water pool at the bottom of my boxes when it hits that clay layer? Should I slope the bottom of my boxes outward from the center? Or is there a way to inlay pipe to drain them? Any ideas?

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Nick - if your slope is graded, I would think you would be fine as the water would follow the slope. If nothing else, you could just drill a couple of drain holes at the base of a box. Otherwise, you can get some nice drainage by just having a gravel channel at the bottom of the box, sloped down. It would probably be fine for preventing fully saturated water situation.

[@HighIMan1ck]

@@growitbuildit Gotcha, that was my initiate thought. However, I did dig out the hill so that my raised bed is built on a flat surface at the bottom of the hill. So basically, flat clay heavy soil under my RB, filled with a mixed natural dirt that I took out of the hill. I think Ill probably do a light grade of drainage rock at the base of the RB before filling it sloping toward the bottom of the hill and drill holes as you suggested

[@singsongbluebird9704]

have you thought of growing in raised beds?

[@growitbuildit]

Hi - it really isn't a problem for me. My vegetable plants are quite large, and I've never lost one to root rot. The only reason I can think of is that I'm on a slope that helps shed water.

[@treasurekings5631]

You mention using bucket to saturate soil 24 hours prior to test. I have a problem, I have watched several videos and non address my issue/question. What if it rained in my area, I dig hole and water is already in the hole. Not full but part way. Do just fill it up? Then start the timer. Secondly, if it starts to rain during drain test how will I get accurate reading? I get a lot of rain.

[@growitbuildit]

Hi - if you have that much rain, and you have water as soon as you've dug your hole then it basically means you've got poor drainage, or the water table is just really high. You could still do the test, just know that you've got a set limit for the drainage. You could at least document how fast it drains in the part that does drain. In regards to raining while doing the test, if it can't be avoided then I would probably just put a rain gage or something to catch rain next to my hole. Then I could see how much new water was added and adjust my calculations accordingly. Sounds like you may live out in the Pacific North West.

[@codyjohnston6194]

We just moved into our new home not too long ago, there is a dead tree few feet in our front lawn, looks like it was planted in a bucket! If I dug that out could I use that as my hole to do this test? Or would that affect the results?

[@growitbuildit]

If the roots were totally contained in a bucket it should be ok. Otherwise no, as the roots would provide pathways that wouldn't normally be there were it just soil.

[@teresathomley3703]

Thanks

[@growitbuildit]

You're welcome - glad you liked it

[@vonries]

I watched your other video on testing your soil's different layers first. Sadly neither were the testing I was looking for. I was wondering if you could test my soil's ph with a test strip. I have tried 3 soil ph meters, but none of them worked.

[@growitbuildit]

Hi - there are paper strip pH test kits for soil. Lots on amazon. I have never used one though, but I would assume they would work just fine. That is a bummer that your pH testers weren't working. I've never had an issue with mine. The key was getting the soil sopping wet. If it was just moist, it would not provide a reading. Also, the needle doesn't necessarily move much, based on the scale. Since most people's soil is going to be between 5-8.5, it would be nice if they made a tester for just that range with an expanded scale. Unfortunately I've never seen one though.

[@djocharablaikan8601]

i did the test, in the afternoon i filled with the water, let it soak through the nite, next day in the afternoon i went to do the test, i filled with water, measured the level with a meter like you did, i came back after an houd to check and i found out the water was completely gone 😳 how bad news is this? or did i do somethibg wrong?

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Djochar - this means you probably have very sandy soil that drains very fast. So, that is good you know what you are dealing with. If you are doing flowers/trees, select ones that like very well drained or dry soil. If you are doing this for vegetables, then I would start top-dressing with compost, and heavily mulching. Building up organic matter in the soil will help retain moisture.

[@djocharablaikan8601]

@@growitbuildit Thank you! you are the best, i will try mulching the ground, but i was kind of hoping to start planting asap. which is a bummer but Thanks to your video i didnt have to deal with failed crops at least 👍

[@growitbuildit]

Start making compost. That will be your best friend, and your municipality might have a community compost or mulch program. Excessive drainage will mean more watering, but you can help the situation with organic matter.

[@djocharablaikan8601]

@@growitbuildit i already have some compost at home ready to be used. how long i should add compost to the garden before i can plant some veggies? Considering that my soil is this dry. i dont want to do raised bed garden.

[@growitbuildit]

I would mix it in 50/50 when I backfilled transplants, making the hole twice as wide as it needs to be.

[@petersices545]

I performed this test and was surprised. Beyond the first three inches the soil is mildly rocky and very hard packed. Yet after 90 minutes (had to make a trip) the drop was 8.5 ". Interpolation -- knowing the inherent limitations of that-- gives about 6.5 per hour in the first hour. This is flat lawn. Not sure how to explain that. I did the prefill last night to exclude absorption. Haven't done the mason jar test yet. Location, between Lansing and GR.

[@growitbuildit]

I'm going to bet that you have very sandy soil allowing it to drain quickly, with pretty coarse sand. These tests are always interesting to me. I never realized how much soil changed in such a short distance or depth until I did some trenching about 20 years ago. Where you could really see all the different layers, flood deposits, etc. Please let me know what you find with the mason jar test. I'm curious to know your results.

[@petersices545]

@@growitbuildit I get 47% sand, 48% silt, 5% clay

[@liaquattalash3262]

@@petersices545 how did you do it...I also want to do.

[@1716frank]

hell yea mate

[@dovonovich]

Complete novice here. What exactly is the purpose of this test? Is there soil that could be inhospitable and unsupportive for building a ground-level garden?

[@growitbuildit]

Exactly Don. The vast majority of plants like soil that drains. If your soil doesn't drain well you could run into a situation where the roots are deprived of oxygen. Also a lack of oxygen creates an environment for root-rot and other diseases. So if you have poor draining soil, and a very wet summer you could have issues.

[@jeffburke170]

Dude, we were separated at birth: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5-pd6tuqNeFi9U Your channel, and Robert Pavlis' are about the only ones that need no fact-checking. Thanks for what you do.

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Jeff!

[@carocaroflux5745]

Just had a question, I did not realize in the video you specified to add the water in the evening. If I dug the hole and added the water into the hole in the morning, will this effect my results on the next day? Thank you for the content by the way, you’ve been very helpful in my beginner journey to gardening. 🌱

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Carocaro - I doubt it will have that much of an effect. The walls and bottom will still probably be moist, which is all that is needed. And thank you for the kind words! I'm very happy I could help you out on your journey!