Runoff

runoff (alt. run-off)
Water which originated on top of the land, such as rain, and collected beyond the ability of the soil to absorb it, so it flows away.
GardenWeb Glossary of Botanical Terms
New Search: ...

Typically, the largest sources of runoff are the roof, paved surfaces, and slopes.

-- washes off quickly a run off is created. Often pesticides and fertilizers are washed into waterways from lawn and garden runoff.
Add a definition to this term
Return to the Gardenology homepage ...

RUNOFF - When liquids (such as in watering an area of ground or a fast rain) washes off quickly a run off is created. Often pesticides and fertilizers are washed into waterways from lawn and garden runoff.

Runoff may come from a level lawn or from a slope and for different reasons. On a level lawn, the most common reason is that a sprinkler is applying more water than the soil can take in.

To avoid runoff, slowly apply water to new trees and shrubs at the rate it can be absorbed until the ground becomes saturated. This may mean refilling the moated watering basin several times, and then adding soil if it settles below the root crown.

Collecting runoff from one good rain shower makes it work like 10. A rain barrel under a downspout (left) provides a reservoir of chemical-free water to tap as plants need it.

Collect rain runoff and waste water.
Collect waste water from your washing machine and recycle this into your garden. Do this only if you use biodegradable soaps and if you have not been using bleach.

Related Searches runoff water rain garden rain gardens garden soil rain water level water
Gardening
Home
Home & Garden
Gardening ...

Check for runoff. If water starts running down the street soon after the system comes on, the volume is too strong.

One of the major reasons for this is Storm-water runoff. Rain falls on yards, roads and parking lots then washes into ponds, lakes and canals carrying pollutants like fertilizers, pesticides, dirt and oil.

Applying clever water saving techniques like contouring the land to slow and utilise runoff, and by mimicking rocky creek beds allows maximum water absorption to get the most of heavy rains.

Runoff and Erosion. Mulch is the perfect agent for reducing water run off and erosion. This keeps your plants from becoming infected with soil-borne diseases such as fungi.

I had long noticed husky volunteer asparagus in ditches along local roads where runoff soil from farmyards had settled. So a few years ago in late summer I grubbed out a long trench two feet deep and wide, using a mattock and prybar.

More interesting were differences in ability to reduce runoff. Surprisingly, the sod and oat straw outperformed all the other materials. Total water runoff was reduced 61 percent by sod and 25 percent by straw spread at less than 1 inch thick.

Every summer in the Gulf of Mexico, an area roughly the size of Connecticut is choked with vast algae and phytoplankton blooms, due in part to tons of synthetic nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer runoff from the Mississippi River.

A channel drain (figure B) " ideal for keeping patio runoff from flooding the nearby landscaping " is installed into the concrete and guides water away from the house and into a pipe, which is below the concrete level.

Use this oportunity to create very shallow channels to deal with any runoff problems you are aware of and to move water runoff away from the house.

Slow soaking limits runoff and encourages plants to develop deep root systems that are better able to tolerate drought. The heavier your soil, the more important slow soaking is in preventing runoff.

On hard or compacted soils, soak, wait and soak again to avoid water runoff. Be especially careful with soil needles, also known as deep root feeders. Some people insert these well below a 12 inch depth, placing water out of reach of tree roots.

A rain garden is one designed to collect water runoff from the home's roof, paved area and other structures that do not absorb water.

This was once recommended by Blooming Boulevards, a program honoring outstanding residential and commercial gardens in Minneapolis, as a way to curtail runoff and soil erosion.

Direct water runoff into planting beds.
Choose plants that are drought-tolerant. Many are readily available at nurseries.
Limit lawn areas and select native grasses.
Mulch and improve soil with compost and other organic matter.

The runoff from our roofs often destroys our flowerbeds. Instead of simply letting downspouts dump water into the garden, consider installing drainage grates underground to receive the runoff and carry it away to safer areas.

The next zone should be a 20-foot-wide shrub and tree mixture to filter runoff, uptake nutrients and provide a travel corridor and habitat for wildlife. The third zone should be a strip, at least 20 feet wide, of grassy vegetation.

Grass uses more water and chemical fertilizers than most any other plant you can install, making it bad for the environment from contaminated runoff. 'The effect isn't worth it,' she says.

Reduces water runoff and soil erosion
Prevents soil and possible fungi from splashing on foliage, which reduces the risk of soil-borne diseases
Maintains a more uniform soil temperature; warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer ...

Add manure to soil if runoff is not a problem.
For more information contact your local WSU Extension Office. Revised by Craig Cogger, WSU Extension Soil Scientist. Washington State University Extension Bulletin 1102.

The runoff is collected, analyzed, augmented, and then reused like in nutrient film technique (NFT) systems. Some systems mist the roots in cycles while others constantly mist the roots.

Low-rise retaining walls can be used in such features as rain gardens to significantly reduce storm water and pollutant runoff from surface areas.

This type of irrigation releases water into the soil slowly, reducing runoff and erosion, which commonly occurs when you use overhead watering and sprinkler systems for irrigating a hill.

Dealing with Storm Water Runoff
Your city government is in charge of dealing with storm water runoff. That ...
Popular Digital Water Timers ...

Green water
CAUSE: Temperature changes, runoff, heavy rain and/or snow-melt that allow single cell algae to flourish.

BERM: A landscaping technique that is used to create interest, privacy, or screening. It may also divert water runoff. It is made by creating a mound of earth or a hill.
BICOLOUR: A flower with petals which bear two distinctly different colors.

Most shade in Colorado gardens is dry shade, meaning that without watering, the soil is generally dry. However, if a shaded area receives runoff from rain or sprinklers, it may qualify as moist shade.

If your soil is dry or compacted, stop watering for a while and then restart; this prevents runoff.
Vegetables and other annuals should be watered at the first sign of droop, or about one inch a week.

Place in a location that receives at least 5 hours of sunlight a day.
Avoid low spots or areas that accumulate runoff.
Don't put the garden under large trees.
Find a level spot.
Provide easy access to electrical power and fresh water.

Prepare planting holes by working in a 4 in (10.2 cm) deep layer of compost or other organic matter, as well as sharp sand if the site catches runoff water. Set out plants in either spring or fall and expect to see little new growth the first year.

field capacity. The moisture level in soil after saturation and runoff.
flag leaf. The terminal leaf of a grass plant; the last emerging leaf below the grain head.

5. Check water frequently. Application times and amounts should be carefully monitored to avoid runoff. Water slowly enough to allow moisture to penetrate at least 6" to 8" into the soil.

6. Do not let the water run off the landscape while you are watering. This will waste water and money. In order to prevent surface runoff (water leaving the planted area), restict the rate of flow to the point at which the soil can absorb water.

Rain Gardens-gardens that are designed to manage stormwater runoff and planted with wetland or wet meadow species.

Rain runoff filled with fertilizer can turn marginal areas into a haven for weeds or promote bacterial growth in waterways. The rule of thumb: use only what you need and as little as it takes to get the job done.

Affordable Rain Barrel - quality rain barrels that collect and store rooftop runoff during a rain showers.
Gardener's Net - complete lawn and gardening information, content, resources, and community.

Close contact between the seed and the soil speeds sprouting. Keep the soil moist, but water only enough to moisten the surface without causing runoff. After seeds emerge, reduce watering to encourage deeper rooting.

Drip irrigation-A slow, even application of low-pressure water to soil and plants using plastic tubing placed directly at the plants` base. This method results in very little evaporation or runoff, saving water by directing it more precisely, ...

Since they water at the ground level, the majority of the water goes directly into the soil at a slower rate, so there's very little runoff and very little of the water evaporates into the air (unlike overhead sprinklers).

LEACHING -- A similar concept to making tea which leaches out the flavor of the tea leaves. This concept regards how water will rinse bad substances (like salt) or good ones (like nutrients) down deep into the soil or as runoff.

& Landscape'section describes ornamental plants, and “Healthy Foods, Healthy Lives' describes fruits. In addition, environmental research projects demonstrate techniques to restore wetlands and lakeshores, capture urban runoff in rainwater ...

The best way to water, especially to conserve water or if the lawn is on a slope, is to water for 5 minutes on and 15 minutes off, until the desired amount of water is delivered. This gives the water a chance to soak in and reduces runoff.

the season, is one that releases organic nitrogen into the soil only as grass uses it. This helps prevent excessive top growth, which can encourage disease and insect problems. It also helps prevent polluting groundwater and nitrogen runoff into ...

The basin is flanked by four large, flat stones meant for seating, making it a place for socializing. Surplus runoff replenishes groundwater via a shallow basin lined with stone and gravel.

Fill in hard-to-mow corners with something forgiving like a clump of ornamental grass.
If you get snow in your area, make sure you and your neighbours aren't throwing salt on your grass. (Where does sidewalk runoff go?) ...

to swim short distances through the water-filled soil pores and find susceptible plant tissues, to which they are chemically attracted. Zoospores may also swim to the soil surface, where they can be carried relatively long distances by runoff water ...

It has been found that the nutrients are actually absorbed by the leaves directly, so more of the feed is used, reducing loss caused by runoff when applying liquid fertiliser directly to the soil.

See also: Water, Plant, Soil, Grass, Drain