Part of skilled watering is knowing to stop when the soil needs a little time to absorb the water. Otherwise the water runs off the surface and gets wasted.
Ted Swiecki is a plant scientist in California with the Phytosphere Research company and the Vacaville Tree Foundation. He says people should not water established trees at the base of the trunk. This can harm the tree.
Too much water in the soil at the base of a tree can lead to the growth of fungi. If the area is too wet, harmful organisms have a better chance to invade the tree and cause disease.
Mr. Swiecki says this is true especially in Mediterranean and semi-dry climates. Many trees in these climates have adapted to having a dry area near their base during the hottest season.
TED SWIECKI: “Water displaces air in the soil. And roots are aerobic; they require oxygen for the soil to function properly. So if you keep the soil saturated and there’s no air there, and then you are basically starving the roots for oxygen.”
And that’s the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, written by Jerilyn Watson. For more growing advice, and to learn English, go to voaspecialenglish.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube at VOA Learning English. I’m Bob Doughty.
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2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25