When compacted soil dries out, the mineral particles and organic matter remain cemented together, and the pore space does not return. While it is easy to understand how heavy power garden equipment such as tractors and tillers can compact wet soils, the very act of a gardener walking on wet soil can cause compaction.

When gardeners work wet soils, they can easily compact soils, eliminating critical pore space. Pore space is critical for drainage, moisture retention, nutrient availability and proper root development. The other 50% of soil is made up of mineral particles (45%) and organic matter (5%). Healthy, well-functioning soil should contain 50% pore space by volume in order to hold moisture, oxygen and other gases. Farmers call this practice “mudding the crop in.” Unfortunately, working in wet soils can cause damage to soil structure and soil quality that can negatively affect crop yield for years.Īsk the Expert: What is the best way to control moss in your lawn? Pore space critical to healthy soil In a wet spring, when repeated rainfall events do not allow for soils to dry out in a timely manner, some farmers and vegetable gardeners choose to plant in saturated soils. Like farmers, vegetable gardeners sometimes work in the rain in spring in order to get their favorite seeds and plants in the ground on a timely basis.

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