A lot of people think they can put their wellingtons away when summer arrives. However, you shouldn’t be so quick to do it. You might still need them if there is a sudden heavy downpour. If you work in agriculture or spend a lot of time outdoors, it is good to have them to hand at all times.

The thing you have to keep in mind here is that when the ground is very dry, it can struggle to absorb water. As a result, you can end up with a lot of water pooling on the surface. If you need to do some work outside or have activities to do, you don’t want to be walking in this and getting wet and filthy.

Why does it happen?

The science behind why dry ground does not absorb water very well is really interesting. What happens is the soil actually becomes hydrophobic because of surface tension. It resists getting wet because the molecules are tightly packed together and the surface is flat. Plus, adsorption means there is more resistance on the surface at a molecular level. So, moisture adheres to the surface rather than soaking in. This is the opposite to what happens with absorption.

As a result, there can be issues in summer with wet ground. It is why we typically see flooding occur after a drought. Here the ground has had a very long time to dry out and build a resistance to water penetration. You would definitely need wellingtons to walk in it.

What to do?

There are a couple of things you can do to reduce the risk of issues. One is to destroy the surface tension of the dry ground. A good way to do this is actually to heat up the water. What this does is make it more turbulent on a molecular level. When this hits the ground, it won’t behave like cold water does. As a result, it can soak in more effectively.

Another thing you can do is try to keep the ground damp so it does not become excessively dry. Water can soak in to damp ground more effectively because new water and old join readily.

Finally, you can make more use of compost. What this does is increase the humus content of the soil. It will make it less prone to becoming hydrophobic.

Do you want to browse for wellingtons?

So, as you can see, there may be situations in summer where you need to get your boots out. If there has been a long dry spell or even a drought, a sudden downpour can result in water on the surface of fields, gardens, and other land. It could be very messy to walk through, so you will probably want wellies.

JS Hubbuck Ltd has been working with the agricultural industry for generations. We still provide essential services such as supplying fertiliser. In addition we offer useful things like wormer, animal feed, clothing, and wellingtons. So, shop with us and get high quality goods you can rely on.