All plants need water to thrive, yet, not all plants need the same amount of water. So when you’re trying to figure out how to irrigate your garden, it’s important to consider your soil type to provide the optimum level of hydration for your plants.
Various soil types hold water differently, which means you may need to irrigate your plants more or less depending on the type of soil you’re using.
In this blog post, we’ll explore how soil type affects your irrigation strategy and offer some tips for watering your plants successfully.
The Different Types of Soil and How They Each Behave
There are quite a few different soils you can use to grow plants. Each has its unique attributes that decide how well it holds onto water and nutrients.
Here’s a quick review of the most common types you’ll find in your backyard and at the store.
Sandy Soil
Sandy soil is light, acidic, and dries out quickly—it's usually low in nutrients and clay. This is solved by adding organic matter to increase nutrient retention. If you find yourself using sandy soil, make sure to water your plants more often than usual.
Clay Soil
Clay soil is thick and dense. It holds a high amount of water in the cold and dries out in warmer seasons. As a result, it’s one of the more challenging soils to grow plants. As a result, it’s essential to adjust your irrigation strategy to your surrounding environment.
Silt Soil
Silt soil is between clay and sand in terms of texture. It holds onto water and drains well but doesn’t hold onto nutrients as easily. If you’re working with silt soil, make sure to add plenty of organic matter when prepping your garden beds for planting.
Peat Soil
Peat soil consists of decomposing plant matter that forms into a nutrient-dense, moisture-retaining material. This type of ground cover is rarely found naturally. It’s often imported into gardens to create a rich soil base for plants.
Chalk Soil
Chalk soil is rich in calcium carbonate, which isn’t a nutrient most ericaceous plants enjoy. This low acidity soil should be reserved for plants that prefer high amounts of alkaline to grow. Though, it's possible to acidify chalk soil if there aren’t signs of visible white lumps.
Loam Soil
Loam soil is a mixture of clay, silt, and sand. It’s considered a ‘gardener’s best friend’ due to its fertile, balanced composition. It’s easy to work with and drains well, so adding extra organic matter can benefit you, depending on your loam soil's sand or clay content.
The Basic Soil Characteristics That Effect Irrigation
Before you start to water your plants, it's crucial to know the soil characteristics that determine how you provide your plants with the correct amount of water they need.
Soil Texture
Texture refers to how much sand, silt, and clay is in the soil. You'll find that all soils use these three terms frequently to describe their properties. The size of molecules in soil defines its texture (and therefore its behavior in water and nutrients).
When working with sandy soil, the particles tend to be larger, as opposed to the particles in clay soil which are much smaller.
Sandy soil holds onto water less effectively than clay soil due to its large particle size. And in contrast, clay holds onto water more efficiently because of its small particle size.
Silty soil falls in the middle of the two. It tends to be fertile but has trouble holding onto water, so it needs lots of organic matter to make up for its high drainage.
Soil Depth
Soil depth influences the amount of structural support, nutrients, and water a plant receives. Therefore, it can greatly affect your irrigation strategy and what plants you can grow.
The depth of your soil affects the water availability of your plants. For example, dense, hardpan layers found in clay soil can reduce its usable depth and increase the chances of waterlogging. Therefore, it's ideal to 'soil rip' these layers to break them up.
Generally speaking, the deeper your soil, the greater the nutrients and water your plants have access to. Your soil depth also decides how easily you can grow deep-rooted or shallow-rooted crops in your garden beds.
Infiltration Rate
Infiltration rate is the speed that water moves from the ground to the roots of your plant. The infiltration rate determines the amount of water that enters your soil—it’s usually measured in inches per hour, and it’s an essential aspect of irrigation.
For example, the infiltration rate decreases as you increase how often you water your soil. The amount of water you use during each irrigation also affects how much water enters the soil and how much becomes runoff. So, it’s important to find a good balance.
Moisture Content (Water Holding Capacity)
Moisture content signifies soil moisture. It determines the water needs of the plants growing in it. For example, if you have poorly draining soil that remains wet for too long, it may cause root rot in your plants.
Additionally, soils with low water content require more consistent watering to prevent wilting and nutrient deficiencies.
You can usually determine your soil's moisture content through testing or by asking an expert horticulturist. However, an easy way to know whether your plants need more water is to check for yourself using a simple home test or soil sensors.
Density and Porosity
Density and porosity are closely related, although they work in opposite directions. Density refers to an overall lack of spaces or pores between soil particles. When soil is dense, it holds onto water more efficiently, requiring less irrigation.
On the other hand, porosity refers to the space in the soil that allows it to hold onto water and nutrients. When porosity drops, the soil will become hard and water-resistant. When porosity rises, spaces between particles open up, and the soil becomes loose.
The Effects of Soil Type and Irrigation on Cannabis Plants
Growing cannabis requires quality soil to grow healthy roots and provide nutrient-rich leaves/buds for harvesting. They can thrive in many different soil types, but this varies due to the wide array of cannabis strains you can grow.
Loam soil is considered the best option of all the soil types for cannabis plants. It's rich in nutrients and provides excellent support for cannabis and hemp alike.
Sandy soil isn't the best choice for cannabis or hemp since it doesn't retain water very well. However, a bit of organic material can help bring your sandy soil back up to par with loam soil and decrease the need for frequent irrigating.
Clay soil is ideal for when you mix in some compost before planting. This increases its ability to drain water while also providing added nutrients.
If you can't find an ideal soil type for your cannabis or hemp plants, you can buy cannabis-optimized soil without having to worry about all of the intricate details.
How to Determine Your Soil Type
There are two basic ways to identify your soil type:
Eye Analysis - These types of assessments can be helpful, but they aren't as accurate as the other methods listed. Dig a small section out and observe how much clay, silt, and sand is in it. Then, estimate to the best of your ability using what you’ve learned.
Testing - Testing strips or kits that you can buy at gardening or hardware stores are the most accurate way to discover your soil type.
Alternatively, you can take a sample of your garden's topsoil and blend it with water to make a paste. Use this paste to determine its texture by pressing it between your fingers. You'll quickly see whether you have sandy, loamy, or clay-based soil.
Soil-Free Irrigation Systems That Require Less Hassle
Irrigation management can get tricky, especially with all of the intricate details of soil and growing.
But the good news is there are many great ways to manage your irrigation strategy without having to worry about soil altogether. Enter hydroponic farming:
Micro Drip System - If you're not a fan of manual watering, this Micro Drip System is an efficient way to ensure each of your plants gets the water they need.
Water isn't wasted, as every plant has its own feeder line, and there's no need to keep track of manual irrigation.
With a micro drip system, you get complete control of the water and nutrients your plant receives with the highest efficiency.
Matrix System - This patent-pending irrigation system provides an even-distribution method for delivering water and nutrients to your plants.
The Matrix System is a cutting-edge hydroponic system used with a wide range of pot sizes to deliver everything your plants need to grow healthy and strong.
FloraCap System - This top-feed hydroponic grow system delivers water and nutrients to your plants and eliminates unwanted algae.
The FloraCap System provides a steady flow rate, even distribution, increased airflow, and stabilization for all of your planting needs.
How We Can Help You Grow
So, to recap, if your soil is clay-heavy and doesn't drain well, you’ll need to water more often but for shorter periods. If your soil is light and sandy, you will need to water less often but for longer periods. You’ll also need to amend your soil with compost or other organic matter to ensure that it’s fertile.
By understanding your soil type needs and using the right irrigation strategy, you can help ensure a successful harvest. Growing plants can be tricky, but it doesn’t have to be.
That’s why we’re here to inspire you and help every step of the way. If you have any questions about growing or our products, don’t hesitate to reach out to us today. We'll be happy to help!
