Heavy rain and dry soil

we got 5 inches of rain in a day and a half.  It was raining so hard that water was spilling over gutter.  From previous storm experience, when this hard rain happens, series of runoff water ponds fill up and bottom pond which has about 100 plants of taro are planted will fill up 2-3 feet deep.

Even though it was raining so hard and some rows of tea and vegetables are getting puddled, there are always some spots in the field that never get any standing water.  and more surprisingly, it feels so dry to touch.

Generally the dry spot in heavy rain has such high level of biological activity.  I am not talking about worms.  When I find worms, typically the soil does not have this dry texture.  Most time it is mycelium, actinomycetes and high level of carbon based organic matter that keeps soil from compaction.

Raw wood chips or lightly composted wood chips mixed in the soil in aerobic condition can create hospitable environment for those organisms and keep the soil clean, but a huge pile of wood chips makes the soil anaerobic and causes the soil to compact and has bad permeability.

Good organic gardeners work hard to make good compost, but it is such a waste of resources!  Only if we can use the raw ingredients to feed the microorganisms in the soil, it creates good permeability naturally.  when rain dumps, the soil stays amazingly dry and no erosion.  It's the active colony of microbes grabbing the soil particles together and won't let go.