If water runs off or pools on the surface leaving the soil underneath dry, you've got Hydrophobic soil. Luckily, it is not too hard to fix, here's a few common ways you can improve your soil to make it water loving, or 'hydrophilic'.
If you're watering your plant every week but the soil still is dry and feels rock solid, you likely have hydrophobic soil. You might notice the water glide over the surface of the dirt, down the side of the pot and out the drainage hole. Sometimes this can indicate your plant needs repotting.
If your soil is constantly wet, there won't be enough air pockets for your plants and the roots will not be able to breathe properly. This can cause your roots to rot and, therefore, your plant will suffer. Some symptoms of overwatered plants include dropping leaves, both new and old, at the same time.
Waterlogging occurs when the soil and root zone around plants becomes saturated. Basically, the water can't drain away fast enough. This happens when more rain falls than the soil can absorb or evaporate into the air. This can happen with an intense period of rainfall such as summer storms.
Too much water in the soil is often caused by construction and planting practices, such as the improper use of irrigation systems. However, some locations are naturally susceptible to saturated soil because of soil type, terrain, heavy rains, flooding, or a high water table.
A key practice for improving soil drainage is incorporating organic matter like compost or well-rotted manure. Organic matter improves soil structure by increasing soil aggregation which allows for more and varied pore sizes.
Hard-packed clay soils and even garden soils can become crusted and resist wetting, letting water run off instead of absorbing it. To re-wet, repeatedly sprinkle the surface lightly, making sure there is no run off. Covering the surface with a mulch such as straw, leaves, wood chips, or compost will also help.
The secret is to add coarse materials that create texture and add air spaces in the potting medium. Changing the composition allows for a higher or lower perched water table (meaning less or more water draining through your soil) and can help increase drainage without losing a lot of soil.
Adding soil amendments to the potting mix can further enhance drainage for plant pots. Perlite is a soil amendment that improves drainage and encourages root growth. It can also help keep the soil from getting compacted in a container.
Add one gallon of moist, coarse sphagnum peat moss, followed by one gallon of coarse sand, perlite, or vermiculite. Adjust the texture of the medium to create a loose, well-drained mixture. Sand feels gritty and clay feels sticky. If the potting soil feels too sandy, more peat moss should be added.
The soil in your garden should take about a week to dry out after normal watering. If the soil is still wet for more than a week, without outside contributing factors like rain or flooding, there might be a waterlogging or drainage problem.
One of the most frequent issues plant owners have is overwatering. After watering, the soil around the plant should remain moist for a while to allow the plant to receive the nutrients and water it needs. 2 to 4 hours after watering, the soil should still be moist.
Most plants benefit from drying out completely between waterings; some moisture-loving plants like ferns can be watered again when the soil is mostly dry. Step 2: If the soil is dry, fill a watering can or vessel with room temperature water.
Seedlings. Bottom watering seedlings is a better method, so the seeds don't get dislodged by the force of the water coming from above. Just make sure that the water reaches the top of the soil, or the seedlings may not germinate.
If overwatering is the issue, the roots will look dark and feel mushy to the touch. The plant's soil may also give off a sour, funky smell, due to water-loving bacteria forming around those roots.
Signs of poor drainage
Surface water, ponding and flooding. Yellow leaves on plants caused by a lack of nitrogen and oxygen. Machinery tracks. The soil particles pack together into clods.
Over-watering, in simple terms, drowns your plant. Soil that is constantly wet won't have enough air pockets and the roots can't breathe. Roots that can't breathe are stressed roots.
Coco peat or coconut coir as sourced from the outer husks of coconuts makes a fantastic base for well-draining soil. As the coir gets into the soil, it develops air pockets for more air and moisture so the soil can drain efficiently.
A combination of sand, silt, and clay particles, this soil absorbs water readily and is able to store it for use by plants. Loam absorbs water at a rate between 1/4 and 2 inches per hour. Sandy Soil, because it has very large spaces, absorbs water at a rate of more than 2 inches per hour.
The Importance Of Soil Drainage In Your Garden
The essential element in well-drained soil is oxygen, which is just as important as water in growing healthy plants. Soil that is water-logged does not drain well and is anaerobic (oxygen deficient) resulting in drowned and rotted roots.
How to Use Pots with No Drainage Holes. Some experts suggest using a layer of pebbles as a sort of drainage layer in those pots without drainage holes. This technique allows excess water to flow into the space with the pebbles, away from the soil and, therefore, the roots of your plant.
Silt: Silty soils are finer, and smoother in texture and hold the most available water to plants. Sand does not hold any water and clay particles hold water so tightly to the particle surface that plant roots are unable to extract it from the soil.
Determine which by feeling the leaf showing browning: if it feels crispy and light, it is underwatered. If it feels soft and limp, it is overwatered. Yellowing leaves: Usually accompanied by new growth falling, yellow leaves are an indication of overwatering.
Check the surface of the soil
At a quick glance you can tell if the soil is dry on the surface of your pot. Moist soil is almost always darker than dry soil, so when you see lighter brown coloured soil this indicates surface dryness.