How can water drainage (percolation) be effectively checked?

Filling a hole with water and observing how quickly the water drains provides a direct method to assess water percolation in the soil. This practice allows you to gauge how well the soil absorbs and retains moisture, which is essential for understanding drainage capabilities. The speed at which the water disappears helps identify the soil's texture and structure, indicating whether it has good drainage (sandier soils) or poor drainage (clay soils).

Other methods mentioned do not directly measure the percolation rate. Observing plant wilting serves as an indirect measure of moisture stress, which could signal poor drainage, but it doesn't quantify how quickly water percolates through the soil. Measuring soil weight would give information about water saturation but not necessarily about the drainage rate itself. Checking moisture levels in the air references environmental conditions rather than the drainage capacity of the soil.