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The Definition of Leaching - The removal of soluble material from a substance, such as soil or rock, through the percolation of water. Organic matter is typically removed from a soil horizon and soluble metals or salts from a rock by leaching. Leaching differs from eluviation in that it affects soluble, not suspended, material and often results in the complete removal of the material from the soil or rock.

This basically means to irrigate throughly enough that the solid salts in the soil are dissolved in water and percolate down through the layers of soil and out of the root zone. The amount of water or length of time you need to irrigate is entirely dependent on the type of soil in your garden. So long as your remaining plants are not cacti and there is sufficient drainage they should survive.

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