Too much water, however, injures plants, compacts soil, and leads to erosion. Root loss occurs when excess water reduces oxygen in the soil. A plant cannot grow without healthy roots. Extreme summer rain can leach nitrogen out of the soil; nitrogen is vital for photosynthesis.
In some parts of the country the rain has been unrelenting, and the loss of organic matter is a major problem with existing soils in the aftermath of heavy rain. The force of the water can wash away or leach organic matter from the soil, particularly if it is not protected by vegetation or other forms of ground cover.
Roots growing in waterlogged soil may die because they cannot absorb the oxygen needed to function normally. The longer the air is cut off, the greater the root damage. The dying roots decay and cannot supply the plants with nutrients and water. Damage caused by overwatering is frequently misdiagnosed as pest damage.
An overabundance of moisture leads to widespread spotting, streaking, and disease-related browning of leaves, mostly caused by fungal diseases that thrive in warm, humid or wet conditions. The good news is that plants usually “grow through” most leaf diseases, although they may look bad and/or drop leaves prematurely.
The potential impacts of heavy precipitation include crop damage, soil erosion, and an increase in flood risk due to heavy rains (see the River Flooding indicator)—which in turn can lead to injuries, drownings, respiratory health impacts from exposure to mold, and other flooding-related effects on health.
Splashed particles from the rainfall clog soil pores, which seals off the soil surface and leads to poor water infiltration. Instead of the rainwater soaking into the soil, it will collect and move down-slope in sheet or rill erosion. This movement forms gullies and carries soil particles with it.
Heavy rainfall can lead to numerous hazards, for example: flooding, including risk to human life, damage to buildings and infrastructure, and loss of crops and livestock. landslides, which can threaten human life, disrupt transport and communications, and cause damage to buildings and infrastructure.
We all love the sound of rain droplets on a summer evening, but too much rain can have a negative effect on your plants. When plants get more water than they need, their roots can become over-saturated with moisture and this can lead to root rot and other issues.
To test if your soil is right for working, grab a handful of it, squeeze it into a ball, release your fingers, and see if the ball shape remains. If it quickly turned into a solid mass, it's still too wet!
If the oxygen returns to the soil in time, the roots will recover and the plant will be OK. But if wet conditions persist, the roots may begin to die (drown). At this point, they become susceptible to water molds that live in the soil and attack, infect and kill the roots. This is called root rot.
Overwatered or waterlogged soil is one of the most common problems when growing plants in the garden. When water does not drain from the soil properly and completely, it can cause soil to be waterlogged, which can damage root systems and even drown your plants.
A common rule of thumb is that most plants need the equivalent of one inch of rainfall a week, on average—enough to soak into the soil about six inches. However, in hot weather, plants may need more. Some areas of your yard may be dryer than others, because trees, roof overhangs, and buildings can intercept rainfall.
Too much rain might cause your mulch to run right off your flower beds or away from the base of a tree. You also shouldn't mulch right before a very windy day. Once your mulch has been established for a period of time dependent on weight and quantity, it will be less vulnerable to being shifted by weather conditions.
In my area where the soil is alkaline due to its parent material acid rain helps make nutrients available. Even if rain was neutral it would still help with nutrient availability as plants can't get anything from dry soil. You can often observe that plants look perkier after a rain storm.
The cumulative impact of millions of raindrops hitting the ground in a hard-hitting spring storm rainfall can be incredible, dislodging soil particles and "splashing" them up to 3-5 feet away. The splashed particles clog soil pores, effectively sealing off the soil surface and leading to poor water infiltration.
Too much water, however, injures plants, compacts soil, and leads to erosion. Root loss occurs when excess water reduces oxygen in the soil. A plant cannot grow without healthy roots. Extreme summer rain can leach nitrogen out of the soil; nitrogen is vital for photosynthesis.
Symptoms. Waterlogging is usually characterized by water remaining at the surface of soil for more than a day, having very wet and damp soil despite dry conditions, and observing root rot in plants. There may also be a stale, foul smell from the soil and water.
“This can be accomplished by using a hollow tine aerator or spiking the lawn with a garden fork or aerator shoes. This will help the lawn to recover more quickly by keeping the soil loose and drawing out moisture.” Aeration is best done during the spring and summer months to help minimize soil compaction.
This can cause extreme weather. Too much rain can cause floods. If the ground is very dry and hard, the rain can't drain away properly. At other times, it rains so heavily over a long time that the earth soaks up too much water and the ground becomes saturated.
Rain can also cause nutrient deficiencies, root rot, overwatering problems and, depending on the growing medium, fluctuations in soil pH, according to Melissa Beseda, co-owner of Wildwood Flower Farm, an outdoor cultivation operation in Washington State.
Excess soil moisture can reduce oxygen in the soil, damage fine root hairs, and render the root system unable to absorb water. Plants exposed to excess moisture show the same symptoms as plants under drought stress. The primary symptom of excess moisture is yellowing of lower and inner needles.
When runoff exceeds the capacity of stormwater systems, it can result in property damage, including basement backups. An extreme rainfall event can also result in the release of raw or partially treated sewage into rivers and streams.
DISADVANTAGES OF RAIN GARDENS
If your rain garden is not functioning properly, you may have issues with drainage. Rainwater runoff will accumulate in the basin, which can lead to backups and flooding. An improperly designed basin can also lead to increased erosion rates.