A simple, quick test will tell you how well your soil drains. Photo courtesy Greywater.org Seventeenth in a series republished with permission from the San Diego County Water Authority‘s website. Soil ...

Perlite is a volcanic glass that is often used in gardening due to its lightweight, porous nature that aids in healthy plant development. "It is made from a type of volcanic glass called obsidian," ...

A reader in Rohnert Park asks the Garden Docs why their sloped backyard isn't draining well. L.B. writes: I have a slope behind my house in Rohnert Park and according to what I have read about soils ...

Soil consolidation in soft soils is a critical process in civil engineering, particularly in regions where land reclamation and urban expansion necessitate rapid and reliable ground improvement. The ...

When water gathers beneath the surface, it can weaken structures or erode foundations, leading to costly damage over time. Sub-soil drainage systems are designed to manage that unseen flow, guiding ...

Since the late 1800s, U.S. farmers have been using drainage methods to allow cultivation of poorly drained soils, once believed to be unproductive and unhealthy. Today, proper drainage is still ...

Soil is life, dirt is death, and the vast distance between takes a lifetime to cross. Mike Kelley is staring into the chasm and believes part of his farmland will suffer stunted yields for the rest of ...

Leaves are falling fast and winter approaches, but there are always gardening questions. Get answers from Ask an Expert, an online question-and-answer tool from Oregon State University's Extension ...

As global plastic production has ballooned, small fragments of plastic have infiltrated rivers, sea ice, and even our brains. When the minuscule fibers and shards seep into soils, they change how the ...

Most gardeners know that success in the garden depends on many factors: you can’t grow a sun-loving plant in a shady area, for example. And a shrub that loves wet places won’t do well in dry soil. But ...