Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
What Does Porous Soil Mean?
What Does Porous Soil Mean?. Good soil is the foundation of a healthy garden. Many gardeners work for decades to create soil that gives plants a home in which they can thrive. Well-structured soil is characterized by a good mix of sand, clay and organic material that both holds moisture and drains water. Key among soil characteristics is porosity.
Good soil is the foundation of a healthy garden. Many gardeners work for decades to create soil that gives plants a home in which they can thrive. Well-structured soil is characterized by a good mix of sand, clay and organic material that both holds moisture and drains water. Key among soil characteristics is porosity.
Porosity
Porosity is the ability of soil to drain excess water freely. Porous soil has organic and inorganic ingredients in different sizes that don't stick fast to each other. This looseness allows the water to flow through. Sandy and gravelly soils are the most porous soils. Clay and silt soils, with their tiny particles that stick together, are the least drained and most waterlogged. Porous soils are abundant in tiny air pockets.
Benefits
Healthy, porous soils drain freely, moving excess water away from plant roots. Most plants in perpetually soggy soil decline and die very quickly. Porous soils rich in organic matter not only drain excess water, they also store moisture and nutrients for the roots as they are needed. Porous soils are also well aerated. This guards against root rot fungi, provides necessary oxygen to the roots and allows earthworms to do their work on soil improvement.
Building Soil
Average garden soil should be amended with organic matter to improve structure. Garden compost, composted manure and soil conditioner (finely shredded bark) create a balance of drainage and moisture retention. Leaf mold (partly decomposed shredded leaves) is an excellent, economic alternative when large quantities are needed. Heavy soils -- clay and silt -- can be lightened with sand or fine gravel, as well as soil conditioner and compost.
Tips
Think of soil improvement as a long-term building project: each time you improve a planting hole or add mulch contributes to the long-term health of the soil. Using composted manure as a mulch or mixing it in as an organic fertilizer when needed adds nutrients to soils and improves structure as the weather and earthworms mix it into the soil. Sometimes a wet site can't be improved. If you have such a site, don't fight it. Look for plants that like soggy soil.
