Turn and aerate your soil – Turning and aerating your soil should be the first thing you do if you suspect you have waterlogging issues. Less severe waterlogging can be overcome by turning all the soil in your garden, which will disperse it through your garden bed.
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 SOLUTION: LIME!
of either quicklime or hydrated lime, dries up wet soil quickly, so that it can be compacted readily, forming a working table that will resist further wetting as well--you can get back to work! hydrated lime are both highly effective in drying wet clay and silt soils.
For small, individual patches of moisture, dry your yard by leveling out the soil and possibly planting water-resistant plants. For large-scale problems, look into getting a drainage system like a French drain or dry well.
To fix waterlogged soil, you are going to want to remove the soggy soil or dry it up. Then, be sure that your pot (for indoor plants or outdoor potted plants) or planting area has plenty of drainage to prevent overwatering from happening again.
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.
Groundwater depletion can also cause wells to run dry when the top surface of the groundwater – known as the water table – drops so far that the well isn't deep enough to reach it, leaving the well literally high and 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.
Poor Drainage
No matter what kind of indoor plant you grow, drainage holes are essential. A container or pot with inadequate drainage or no holes is bad for the health of the plant. Wet soil is most frequently caused by pots without any holes in them.
If the ball remains mostly intact or breaks into only a few pieces, the soil is too wet. Observe your planter in the field. If soil is building up on the rubber closing wheels, the soil is too wet to plant. You should inspect the seed furrow periodically for signs of soil smearing and sidewall compaction.
Planting vegetables in wet soil also alters the type of microorganisms found in the growing substrate. When compaction reduces the oxygen level in the soil, anaerobic bacteria proliferate. These microorganisms produce substances like hydrogen sulfide, butyric acid and alcohols which are harmful to vegetable plants.
Wet soil can mean the death of many landscape plants — due not only to excess water but also to lack of oxygen. Plants that can't tolerate such conditions usually die of suffocation. Improving drainage in the area is always a plus; consider installing a French drain, a wet-weather bed or raised beds.
Collect some soil in your hand from the depth of the field where you are planning to plant the seed. Now try to squeeze the soil in your fist. With excess moisture and soil is able to cling to your palm, then the soil maybe too wet and not suitable for planting seeds.
It usually takes a few days after a good rain for the soil to dry out enough that you can start planting. If you're unsure, push aside any mulch, dig 2 or 3 inches into the soil and take a handful. “If it clings together so you can form a fist of it, it's mud, and still too wet to work in,” Savio said.
Raised planting areas are a good idea, because they allow your wet-tolerant crops to access the water as well as oxygen for healthy roots and proper uptake of nutrients. Try planting berms on contour or raised beds. In addition to preparing a successful planting area, there are plenty of edible crops to choose from.
Plus, a damp root ball will be easier to work with than a dry one. You'll need a new pot that's 1 to 2 inches larger in diameter than the plant's root ball. Going too much larger just wastes potting mix and can throw off the proportions of the plant to the container.
Remove about one-third or more of the old potting mix surrounding the plant's roots. As it grew, your plant removed some or all of the nutrients in the current mix, so you'll want to give it fresh potting mix or soil. Pour a layer of fresh potting soil into the empty planter and pack it down, removing any air pockets.
Loosening the root ball when repotting is only essential when the plant has become completely root bound. In cases where they are not completely rootbound, you may be able to plant directly into the next pot. If the roots are not wrapped tightly around each other, there is no need to cut and disturb them.
To dry out soil quickly, you can apply hydrated lime to the soil, add compost and then turn the soil thoroughly to aerate it. Adding hydrated lime and compost will help absorb the water in your soil, and turning it all will help distribute the water in the waterlogged soil throughout your garden.
Give the soil a squeeze to check for moistness. If you squeeze and the soil sticks together then it is moist. But if the soil crumbles or it remains in a loose pile as you squeeze then the ground needs more water. Now drop the soil and brush the soil off your hands.
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.