Molecular adhesion is the phenomena that causes coffee to be drawn upward at the sides of a cup, overcoming gravity's pull. The woven wick creates the many fine channels necessary for the wax to move through by molecular adhesion.e. In soil made up of fine particles, sufficiently compacted, this capillary action works to move water from a lower point to the surface. During rain or watering, topsoil becomes saturated. Gravity causes water to collect at its lowest point.
Water rises by capillary action as soil dries.
Seeds that are sown at bare soil surface are dried out by sun and wind. Water evaporates as it reaches the surface. Seeds are rolled into soil. Top dressing protects seed from sun and wind and allows air circulation. Rising water stops at a boundary between soil and top dressing.