Step 5 - Understanding 'Soil Moisture outlook'
This page shows the water available for plant growth stored in soil at the weather station - we call this 'soil moisture'
The vertical axis on the graph shows the soil moisture. 0 means the soil is completely dry and 1 means the soil is as wet as possible.
So the higher the line - the more moisture in the soil.
We use a sandy loam soil for our estimates - so you need to make adjustments for your soil type and structure. As a rule, if your soil has low organic matter and/or high sand content, the moisture index will be lower and if your soil has high organic matter and/or clay content, the soil moisture may be higher.
It should allow you to see the trends of soil moisture in the past and therefore make a qualified estimation as to the short-term soil moisture for the future (three months into the future)
Years with the same sea surface temperature as the current year are listed. These years are considered to be the best indicators of future soil moisture.
The graph has a legend and illustrated instructions to help you get the most from it.
More information on how to understand the graph.