Knowledgebase
Hydrophobic Soil #864984
Asked April 18, 2024, 12:25 PM EDT
Marion County Oregon
Expert Response
Thank you for contacting us about the soil in your raised beds. First, can you tell me what you plan to plant in your beds?
Please tell me what amendments or other things have been added to the soil (compost, bagged potting mix, vermiculite, or any other addition.)
Also, it would be very helpful if you conducted a couple of simple soil tests yourself and let me know the results. If you would like to try, here are some instructions:
https://cmg.extension.colostate.edu/Gardennotes/214.pdf
I look forward to your reply.
Good afternoon! I’m growing a variety of vegetable plants in the garden beds. I’ve attached a picture of the beds and the soil here.
- Leeks, broccoli (sprouting), celery, kohlrabi (sprouting), potatoes (sprouting)
- Lettuce (sprouting), white radish (sprouting)
- Red tomato, beets (sprouting)
- Swissh chard (sprouting), butternut squash
- Cucumber (sprouting), zucchini (sprouting), patty pan squash, lemon cucumber, corn (sprouting)
- Yellow wax beans (sprouting), green beans (sprouting)
- Fresno red peppers, rainbow carrots
- Mustard greens (sprouting), roma tomatoes
- Carrots, cherry tomatoes
I’m waiting on the soil texture measurement to settle out, but going by feel it seems like it’d fall under Sandy Loam.
The soil was delivered in spring of 2023 and the beds were filled then. I had issues with the soil being hydrophobic then, so I worked on soaking the soil and it soaked over winter. This spring I put a layer of grass clippings and maple leaves down and then covered with a 1/2” of soil. Otherwise, I haven’t amended the soil. It does have some organic material and perlite from the original soil mix.
Thank you!
Christine Meiwes, Office Specialist 2
Oregon State UniversityDepartment of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences
104 Nash Hall | Corvallis, OR 97331 |<personal data hidden>
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From: ask=<personal data hidden> <ask=<personal data hidden>> On Behalf Of Ask Extension
Sent: Friday, April 19, 2024 4:50 PM
To: Meiwes, Christine A <<personal data hidden>>
Subject: Re: Hydrophobic Soil (#0134907)
[This email originated from outside of OSU. Use caution with links and attachments.]
I purchased the Cow Punch soil with pumice from here in spring of last year: https://landscapeshoppe.com/soil-compost/
I’d have to reach out to the shop to see what the actual mix was and if it was lab tested.
Christine Meiwes, Office Specialist 2
Oregon State UniversityDepartment of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences
104 Nash Hall | Corvallis, OR 97331 |<personal data hidden>
She/They/Him
**Due to added HR duties while we search for a new Admin, I will not be holding regular Zoom office hours.
If you need travel or Concur assistance, please reach out to <personal data hidden> and cc me on the email.**
From: ask=<personal data hidden> <ask=<personal data hidden>> On Behalf Of Ask Extension
Sent: Thursday, April 25, 2024 9:27 AM
To: Meiwes, Christine A <<personal data hidden>>
Subject: Re: Hydrophobic Soil (#0134907)
[This email originated from outside of OSU. Use caution with links and attachments.]
Thank you for all of the additional information. The original soil mix, I see that it is recommended to be blended with the pre-existing soil. Even if you followed those directions, the mix sounds quite coarse with 40% Sandy Loam and Pumice.
If there is only a surface layer of the mix on top of other soil, you may have what is called a perched water table where water sits on top of the next layer. If the entire bed is filled with the mix, I'm really at a loss because it seems like the sandy loam and pumice would make the mix very porous.
I recommend you get a laboratory soil test which will evaluate the texture and assess the amount of organic material that is incorporated. Be sure to tell them about the soil mix and the problem you have with it as well as what you are planting. I'm including instructions for testing and a list of Oregon labs:
https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/ec628
https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/em8677
https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/ec1478
The only other recommendation I can make is to continue adding organic matter which will eventually improve the permeability of the soil. The drawback is that high organic matter at root level may deprive nitrogen from the plant roots. (For this reason, we usually recommend applying OM on the soil surface, letting it perk down naturally.)
My apologies that I am not able to specifically identify the source of your soil problem, but a lab test is the first step in determining the corrective steps. Please write again if we may be of help.
