Garden with Insight v1.0 Help: Soil daily water group

Snow water content for patch: The total amount of snow (as an equivalent amount of water) on top of the soil patch.

Water content by layer: Amount of water in each soil layer. Compare this to the wilting point (amount in the soil when most plants permanently wilt), the field capacity (amount the soil holds after draining), and the porosity (greatest amount the soil can possibly hold).
Wilting point by layer: The amount of water each soil layer holds when all but desert-adapted plants cannot take up enough water to avoid permanent wilting. Some water remains in the soil, but it is in micropores (not macropores) and is inaccessible to plants.
Field capacity by layer: Amount of water that tends to remain in each soil layer 2-3 days after the soil has been completely saturated by rain. Influenced by soil texture and structure and by organic matter (which acts like a sponge). Important in water retention between rains.
Porosity by layer: Porosity, or percent pore space, is the percent of the total soil volume not taken up by soil solids -- sand, silt, clay, rocks and organic matter and therefore available to be taken up by water and air. Important in all soil water calculations.

Fraction of field capacity in top 30 cm: The quantity: (soil water - wilting point) / (field capacity - wilting point) in the top 30 centimeters of the soil. Used in moderating plant nitrogen fixation for water content of the soil.

Water content minus wilting point in plow depth (0.2 m): The difference between the soil water content and wilting point in the plow depth (the top 0.2 meters of soil, or about 8 inches). Plant seeds compare this number to a plant parameter to determine if they germinate.

Porosity in top meter of soil: The porosity in the top meter of soil. Used (with top meter water content) in calculation of the aeration stress constraint on plant growth.

Water content in top meter of soil: The water content in the top meter of soil. Used (with top meter porosity) in calculation of the aeration stress constraint on plant growth.

Water content minus wilting point in soil profile depth (2 m): The difference between the soil water content and wilting point in the soil profile depth (the top 2 meters of soil or the deepest soil layer depth). Used to determine how much to auto irrigate.

Field capacity minus wilting point in soil profile depth: The difference between total field capacity and wilting point in the soil profile depth (two meters or the lowest soil layer depth, whichever is smaller). A measure of how much water the soil can hold.

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