IF it doesn’t rain it pours… an old adage that this week at least seems apt. Is there such a thing as too much rain? For your gardens, yes. What gives us the best results when it comes to what we get from all of our garden and plant choices relies entirely on soil biology. And this means everything that happens in it, both from an anaerobic viewpoint and what creates the best environment for the fauna which helps give you premium soil, teeming with life. Too much rainfall can cause an anaerobic environment in which this is hampered via waterlogging and in particular, the lack of circulation of oxygen, which both plants and the bugs and worms which live in it, need. So how do you protect your soil from this after what seems like weeks of rain? In the King Country, which generally has a combination of clay and limestone base, the two things you can do are add either sand or compost into your soil. What this does is re-introduce the necessary oxygen and it will also help with aeration and drainage until the lower areas of the soil can begin to absorb the excess rain. For pot plants, take any trays you may have under them away until such time as the soil begins to dry out a little – the free drainage that comes from this will help stop any waterlogging in the micro-environment a pot provides. It’s one of the reasons I prefer in larger pots, to use a stone chip base to help with drainage at any given time. If you have pathways between your gardens, woodchips are excellent at helping with drainage and as always, raised gardens are the ideal, ensuring there is automatic drainage when it is most needed. It’s also a good time to trim any damaged or dead foliage or flowers from your plants, using secateurs to ensure the trimming is clean – because it is easy in this warm spring weather for diseases caused by the higher temperatures and humidity to be introduced. The same goes for any leaves and plants that need to be removed; their presence in your garden can hinder the recovery.
