Evaluating ‘drainage’ in container and other shallow‐drained horticultural soils

Abstract

Abstract Shallow‐drained horticultural soils utilized in containers, sporting areas, and landscape sites tend to retain excess water and be poorly aerated following irrigation or precipitation. This ensues even when soil hydraulic conductivity is very high. Such poor drainage is widely misconstrued as a consequence of impedance to water flux when it is most frequently a capillary retention effect. The adequacy of drainage in shallow soils and subsequent corrective measures for poor drainage arc therefore often inferred by application of inappropriate criteria. This paper briefly reviews the concept of drainage in shallow horticultural soils and describes some simple, practical methods for its correct evaluation and management.