llms.txt · Watering plan · Knowledge

Watering clay and sandy soil in a UK garden

Sandy soil stores little water. Clay stores more but takes it in slowly. Johgee splits clay applications deeper than 8 mm.

Generated 2026-08-23T10:00:00.000Z. Valid until 2027-02-23T10:00:00.000Z. Ruleset facts below must match the Johgee core.

Locked facts

Sandy soil drains quickly. After a shower it can feel dry again the same afternoon. Clay holds water, but if you put it on too fast it sits on the surface and runs off, especially on a slope.

Johgee gives sandy soil a 0.5 mm storage credit and clay 1.5 mm in the current window. Those figures are conservative allowances, not a laboratory water-holding capacity. When the calculated depth on clay is more than 8 mm, the plan splits the watering into two passes so less water is wasted as runoff.

A watering can at the base is more efficient (0.8) than a hosepipe (0.7). On sand, water more slowly and check the top few centimetres. On clay, water slowly, stop if puddles form, and come back later.

Sources

This is a decision aid, not a guarantee.