By June, Oklahoma gardeners usually encounter parched soil begging for a drink, but the last few weeks have delivered an onslaught of rain in nearly epic proportions. Now, gardeners are grappling with how to salvage flowers and vegetables from record-setting rainfall.
Laura Payne, Oklahoma State University Extension horticulture educator in Payne County, said gardeners can take steps to help their gardens recover.
“Water-logged gardens can be a big issue, especially if you live in a newer neighborhood that had clay soil,” Payne said. “Contractors scraped off the topsoil and compacted the ground in preparation for construction. When new topsoil is brought in, it may be only 6 to 8 inches deep, so that compacted clay layer creates a hard pan layer that water can’t penetrate as it does in sandy or silty soil, leaving the root system of the plant sitting in water for days.”
