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Vital Seeds Ltd

July garden tips and holding water in your soil

Published over 1 year agoΒ β€’Β 2 min read

We are experiencing some real heat at the moment, and the plants are getting thirsty.

To make sure your plants get the water they need we thought we'd give some tips on watering how to hold the water in your soil. Scroll down to find them.

Seeds to sow in July

There are quite a few things that can be sown in July.

As well the varieties included in our popular "Second Spring" seed collection (available now), it's also possible to do a late sowing of carrots, beetroot, kale and fennel as well as quite a few other bits.

For a full list click the button below.

Tips for watering effectively

  • Always water the soil at the base of the plant, not the plant itself
  • Make a small crater around the base of your plants before watering so that the water is channelled straight down rather than running off away from the roots
  • Ideally water in the evening so that the water has time to soak into the soil while it's cooler, however if your plants are desperate for water, then give them water, no matter what time of day
  • Water less frequently but more abundantly to encourage deep root growth
  • If you are using thick layers of porous mulch such as hay or straw then it can be good idea to pull them away from the plant before watering, otherwise there is a danger that the mulch will soak up the water before it can get to the plant roots

How to hold water in your soil

The type of soil that you have makes a huge difference to how it behaves in relation to water. Sandy soils dry very fast and clay soils dry slowly.

In undisturbed soil water evaporates from the surface through a process known as "capillary action". The water moves up through the soil in tiny channels like being sucked through a straw.

As the soil dries out and shrinks, cracks can appear in the surface which opens up the soil further down, allowing even faster evaporation, creating a positive feedback loop (meaning that the problem accelerates over time).

To slow down this process we need to stop the capillary movement of the water up through the soil profile.

The most basic method, which is practiced all over the world, is to simply break up the surface of the soil once it starts to form a crust. You can do this with a hoe or or even just using your hand. It creates what is sometimes referred to as a 'dust mulch', and it is very effective.

Alternatively you can use other kinds of mulches such as straw, hay, or compost. Beware of using raw mulches such as straw that you will be unable to hoe the weeds once you have put it down, so if using this method, weed really well first and use a thick layer (3 inches) to help prevent subsequent weed growth.

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Happy sowing and growing and enjoy the sunshine :)

Fred, Ronja, and the rest of the team

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P.S. be hyper vigilant of keeping your seedlings watered in this heat, they may need to be watered twice a day if they are growing in small modules. We always do two passes with the hose when we water our seedlings, one to wet the surface and then one to soak into the module (the water soaks in much better if the surface is already moist)

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Vital Seeds Ltd

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