Availability of Water

Not all the water in the soil is available to the plant. Soil with a lot of organic matter can hold a lot of water. The more air left in the pores, the more water the roots can absorb.

• Root zone: the zone in which the plant's roots are located.
• Unsaturated zone: the zone above the water table, where the pores contain both water and air.
• Saturated zone: all the pores are filled with water.