If wet soil sticks to your hand, it's probably too wet. Drop the mud ball to the ground from waist high. If the mud ball doesn't break apart when it hits the soil surface, it's probably too wet.
Make a ball of soil and drop it. If the ball crumbles, your garden is ready for seeds. If it holds its shape or breaks into two clumps, it's still too wet for planting. You can also step into the garden and then step back and look at the footprint you've left in the soil.
Planting in wet soil conditions also creates lumpy soil, which is counterproductive to making seed beds with a fine tilth. Large clumps make it difficult to cover all the seeds to the correct depth and creates an uneven surface that doesn't retain a consistent amount of moisture across the bed.
It usually takes a few days after a good rain for the soil to dry out enough that you can start planting.
The goal is to water the soil well to saturate it into the planting root zone. And give the soil plenty of time to drain slightly but not dry out completely before you plant.
Wet soil or fully saturated soil is soil that has all pore spaces filled with water and devoid of air. For example, a sponge that is completely full of water and no air would be considered fully saturated. Roots need air—even those of high moisture plants.
If your soil is constantly wet, there won't be enough air pockets for your plants and the roots will not be able to breathe properly. This can cause your roots to rot and, therefore, your plant will suffer. Some symptoms of overwatered plants include dropping leaves, both new and old, at the same time.
The duration of the rain is the first aspect that impacts how quickly the ground will dry. If the rain was brief, such as 15 minutes, the ground may dry up in 6 hours and you may be able to work on it afterward. However, if there is continuous rain for 4 days, the ground may take longer than 4 days to dry up.
If you walk on muddy ground or try to work with soil that has the consistency of wet clay, you're compacting the soil, which isn't good for your plants or your garden, said Yvonne Savio, master gardener and creator of GardeningInLA.net, a comprehensive guide to growing almost anything in Southern California.
The results showed that during the summer, plants grow more when given extra water, including natural rainfall.
Seeds need moisture to germinate, but the seeds will rot if the soil is overly wet. If the seed-starting medium is too dry, moisture will not penetrate the seed coat and signal the seeds to sprout. Saturated soil will cause the seed to rot.
Plant Seeds Before It Rains
Dry soil is easier to work with than wet soil and seeds are less likely to rot in soil that doesn't stay soggy for prolonged periods. Add in a nice rain shower, and you won't need to drag out the garden hose to water your newly planted seeds.
Generally speaking, plants like to dry out in between feedings says Erin Marino of the Sill. “If soil is left too wet for too long, it can cause root rot,” Marino says. “That's what we call over watering. On the other hand, if your plant's soil is consistently too dry you're likely under watering.
Add Organic Material
Aside from adding fertility, organic material is also great for breaking up heavy dense soils. By mixing and bonding with soil particles it allows for more air space and drainage. As a side note adding organic material can also help dry soils hold moisture.
Add lots of organic matter whenever you have the chance. Well-rotted manure from a trusted source (so you can be certain it's free from herbicide residues), garden compost or leafmold are all excellent at gradually improving both your soil's structure and nutrient content.
Overwatered plants can sometimes recover on their own, but it depends on the plant and the extent of the overwatering. If the roots have rotted, the plant will likely not recover. However, if the overwatering has only caused the leaves to wilt, the plant may be able to bounce back.
If it rains, it's best to wait a few days to allow soil to become semi-dry. To determine if soil is in working condition, simply pick up a ball of soil; if it falls apart in your hand when you poke it, then it is dry enough to be tilled. If it stays together in a ball, then it is too wet and needs more time to dry.
It may take an hour or more to thoroughly re-wet the soil. Be careful not to leave pots soaking in standing water continuously. Check them after an hour or two and remove them when they are hydrated.
A value of 0 means soil moisture is at the wilting point (very dry) while a value of 1 means soil moisture is at saturation (very wet). A value of 0.54 means near optimum soil moisture for plant growth while values below 0.2 and above 0.8 indicate drought and excess moisture stress.
If you have very wet soil, consider creating raised beds, both for flowering plants and for veg – you can fill these with the perfect soil mix for the plants you would like to grow. Alternatively, plant onto mounds of soil so that excess water can drain away.
If you're looking for a no-work native perennial plant that likes wet soil, consider horsetail (Equisetum hyemale). It's prized for its stiff, upright, bamboolike, dark green, segmented stems. Horsetail, also commonly called scouring rush, proliferates by underground runners in moist soil or shallow water.