Vedenpidosta

Vedenpidosta is a Finnish term describing the property of a material to retain water, commonly referred to in English as water holding capacity or water retention. It is a relevant concept in soils, growing media, and some construction contexts where moisture storage influences plant availability, drought resilience, and moisture dynamics.

In soil science, water retention is determined by texture, structure, and organic matter content. Soils with finer textures and higher organic matter generally exhibit greater water holding capacity, which helps sustain plant water needs between rain events or irrigation. The relationship between water content and matric potential is often depicted by a soil water retention curve. Key concepts include field capacity (the amount of water the soil holds after excess water drains) and available water (the portion that plants can use), as well as the wilting point (the limit of plant-available water).

In horticulture and agriculture, vedenpidosta influences the choice of growing media and irrigation practices. Growing media components such as peat, compost, vermiculite, and perlite modify porosity and capillarity, affecting moisture retention and drainage. Managing irrigation to keep substrate moisture near field capacity helps prevent water stress while avoiding waterlogging.

Measurement and assessment of water retention involve methods like the pressure plate technique, tensiometers, and sensor-based moisture monitoring, often complemented by modeling to predict available water under variable weather conditions.

See also: soil moisture, soil water potential, available water capacity, growing media, irrigation management.