Test For Well-Draining Soil

The more you know about your soil the more you can make the most of it. Knowing how well your soil drains can assist in determining what you will use it for i.e is it suitable for a garden bed or a great place to build my dam? A high clay-based soil with the addition of Water$ave Dam Sealer, is perfect for a dam as you don’t want to lose precious water.

 

Test Soil Drainage

  • Dig a hole approximately 30cms wide & deep.
  • Fill the hole with water & let it drain. Time will vary depending on soil type & texture.
  • Re-fill the emptied hole with water again. This should be done with no rainfall in between fills & within a day.
  • Once filled note the start time or use a timer. Sandy soil measure water depth every 10 minutes. For loam or clay soil measure very hour. You want to know how long the water takes to drain.

 

Results

After 3 hours the amount of water remaining will determine how your soil drains.  

Fast-Draining: The water added will drain completely away.

Well-Draining: The hole will still have half the amount of water added remaining.

Slow-Draining:  Most of the water (80%-90%) will not have drained.

 

Fast draining soils tend to have a sand base. Slow draining soil tend to have a high clay content. For most gardens well-draining soil with a combination of Water$ave Medium is the perfect environment for plant growth.  

 

Learn more about our Water$ave Polymers at: https://www.polymerinnovations.com.au/

Polymer Innovations is Australian owned & operated.