What Is the Meaning of Hygroscopic?
Hygroscopic is the word used to describe substances that change as a direct result of attracting and absorbing water. Common examples of hygroscopic activity include the caking or hardening of sugar and salt after absorbing moisture from the air. It is important to understand what elements of your garden have hygroscopic properties, so that you can use them to your benefit. Does this Spark an idea?
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Wood
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Wood is a material frequently found in gardens. Lumber is used to create trellises, to edge flower beds, and to wall in raised garden boxes. Wood is also extremely hygroscopic. Wood fibers will attract and absorb moisture from both the soil and air. This robs nearby plants of moisture that they need and introduces moisture into the lumber that may eventually cause it to rot. It is important to select the lumber used in gardens from rot resistant varieties like cedar, or that the lumber be appropriately treated to prevent moisture damage.
Seeds
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Many seeds are hygroscopic. Specifically they have little hygroscopic extensions which will bend as a result of changes in humidity. A Study conducted by the University of New York concluded that seeds were able to move an average of an additional 7 cm as a result of hygroscopic movement. This movement also helps seeds to become fixed below the soils surface, improving the seeds overall chance of survival and growth.
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Soil
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All soils have hygroscopic properties, the more hygroscopic the soil, the better it is suited to retaining moisture necessary for plant growth. Clay and loam have a very high hygroscopic rate, while sand has a very low hygroscopic rate. Organic matter like clay and compost are hydroscopic materials which can be added to soil to increase its moisture retention.
Humectant
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A Humectant is a hygroscopic compound. These compounds are commonly added to soil because they improve the soil's ability to retain moisture. They not only slow moisture loss. But also reabsorb moisture from the air. They are especially useful in soil with a high sand content. Humectants do not move easily through soil, and often only improve soil health near the surface if they are not buried deeply.
Extracts
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Many fruit and plant nectars are extremely hygroscopic. This is visible in the physical changes that honey undergoes when exposed to moisture in the air. Because of their hygroscopic properties, some plant extracts, like Yucca extract, are commonly used as soil treatments. These do have short term benefits, but such treatments must be repeated frequently because of the rapid breakdown of the organic material.
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References
- Photo Credit clay image by Pavel Korsun from Fotolia.com
