EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -The soil’s ability to retain water is strongly related to particle size; water molecules hold more tightly to the fine particles of a clay soil than to coarser particles of a sandy soil, so clays generally retain more water.

Detailed explanation-2: -Soils with smaller particles (silt and clay) have a larger surface area than those with larger sand particles, and a large surface area allows a soil to hold more water. In other words, a soil with a high percentage of silt and clay particles, which describes fine soil, has a higher water-holding capacity.

Detailed explanation-3: -You can improve the water retention properties of your soil by adding vermiculite, sphagnum (peat) moss, and/or coconut coir. When you make the soil retain more moisture, you’ll also need to improve the drainage to prevent any watering issues. You can improve the drainage by adding perlite, Leca, and sand to your soil.

Detailed explanation-4: -WATER RETENTION AND CHARACTERISTIC CURVE A soil-water characteristic (SWC) curve describes the amount of water retained in a soil (expressed as mass or volume water content, m or v) under equilibrium at a given matric potential.

Detailed explanation-5: -Incorporate compost, manures, or other stable organic materials. Grow and incorporate a high biomass cover crop. Add a perennial crop to your rotation. Add a sod crop to your rotation. Reduce tillage to provide less disturbance to soil biota and structure.