Making Soil Water Absorbent?

Question

I have a very large garden and cannot afford to use water saving granules, and a lot of the garden cannot absorb water anymore, because of the drought (Australia). I have been told that I can use a few drops of biodegradable dishwashing liquid in a bucket of water and start putting this around the garden and the soil will be able to absorb water again. Is this true? anyone done this? I don't want to kill the plants that are left.....
I do mulch, but the water just sits on the top of the soil and rolls into little balls.....

Answer 1

during our hot dry summers here on the prairies of western canada, our soil turns rock-hard water -repellant. one way i have handled this situation is to plant a 10" lenth of 1/2 "diameter pvc pipe along side the plant when i put it out in spring. then when you pour water down the pipe, it goes directly to the root zone no matter how crusty the surface is. i have also used old pieces of carpet, cut into circles and turned upside down and then make a slit in them and put them like a collar around the plant stem. this keeps the base of the plant damp and absorbent. you just lift the carpet and water, then replace the carpet. cover the carpet piece with mulch for a nicer look.
is this a vegetable garden, or a decorative garden? if its for growing veggies, i wouldnt use the gray water--but just for ornamentals it is fine.
another technique that may help is to dig a depression or "well" around the base of the plant and then fill this with pea gravel. the soil should stay moist under the gravel, and the water will be confined to the "well" when you water the plant.

Answer 2

During prolonged periods where water is lost and not replaced, soils can dry out and become hydrophobic (water repellent). This means that any water applied to the soil will bead and run off the surface, rather than soak in to the soil. The soil on top may appear to be irrigated but the soil underneath the surface will remain dry and the roots of plants will not have access to water. This also applies to potting mixes that have dried out.

Materials that allow water to penetrate the surface do so by breaking the "surface tension" of the soil. These types of materials are also known as surfactants (which is taken from the term; SURFace ACTive AgeNTS). Surfactants allow the soil to wet easily and reduces run off. Dishsoap can be classified as a mild form of a surfactant but it will help solve your problem.

The dishsoap will help the water penetrate the soil easier. You don't have to worry about the soap hurting the roots or plants/lawn. It's important that you don't apply the water onto the leaves when the ambient (outside air) temperatures are hot....this will cause burn of the foilage.

Hope this answered your question. GOOD LUCK and hope you get some rain soon!

(professional crop consultant with a degree in plant science)

Answer 3

Yes, I've heard this works. Ivory dishwashing liquid (here is US) is supposed to be the best thing to use. Many use it on their lawn to help the ground absorb the water better.

I would also suggest adding more organic material to your soil...maybe some sphagnum moss will will help aerate your soil and will retain water.

One more thing...reuse the water that normally goes down the drain in your home. Gray water from washing mashines, showers and baths is great for your garden. Dishwater is ok if it contains NO grease, animal fats or oils. I use gray water (which contains soap) all the time and my plants love it.

Answer 4

The more organic material you add the more water it will abbsorb. Also If you cover the ground with a thicklayer of mulch it will hold water longer so you dont have to use as much water. The mullch will decomposeandadd nutrians to the soil so you gain more and more all the time.

Answer 5

do not use your grey water! it is septic and will , at the least give you E.coli enteritis.. usually the water "balls up" because they soil has become excessively dry. Yes , mild soap will usually help, but you need a soil analysis , you need also to work into your soil a LOT of organic matter-- wood chips, saw dust, paper shreddings, manure from grazing animals, grass clippings,,, etc. I like to use fresh compost, and wood chips for mulch.. It would help to have a drip system so your soil about your plants does not get that dry again.. once it is damp it will absorb water better- that is why big gardners water thier fields right before a rain..

Answer 6

Aerate the soil...Poke holes in it around your plants, then water. The water will go down the holes and to the plant roots instead of sitting on the surface. You can use a stick, screwdriver, scissors, just about anything to punch holes in the dirt. I'd help you if I were there, then we could have a nice cold beer!!

Answer 7

Sorry to hear about your draught, may I suggest mixing your soil with mulch, mulch will absorb water. Put it in your soil and turn it with the soil ( Mix it in. hope this helps you out.

Answer 8

i think the washing up liquid will be ok but depends what chemicals are in it just cos its bio degradable dosnt mean it will degrade in this decade, as for absorbtion the soil wont absorb cos the molecules have compacted together real tight you could try digging it over, iv got plenty of rain here in the uk if u wnt to swap, could do with a tan top up n bbq.