1. Mulch, mulch, and mulch some more! Cover your soil with a blanket of organic material such as straw, leaves, shredded paper or cardboard, or bark. This will moderate soil temperature, prevent runoff and evaporation, and hold moisture in the for longer periods between waterings.
You can improve the water retention properties of your soil by adding vermiculite, sphagnum (peat) moss, and/or coconut coir. When you make the soil retain more moisture, you'll also need to improve the drainage to prevent any watering issues. You can improve the drainage by adding perlite, Leca, and sand to your soil.
Start with a layer of newspaper or cardboard, wet it down, and add a thin layer of compost or manure. Then, add a 6-8 inch thick layer of straw or chopped dry leaves, and top with a final thick layer of compost or manure.
When it's been a while between waterings, your soil can become “hydrophobic,” meaning the particles in your soil are literally repelling the water instead of allowing the soil to soak it up. That's why your plant could seem sad and under-watered even though you just watered it yesterday.
Here's a recipe to make your own natural Agar soil wetter at home: Mix agar powder/powdered kelp (available at health food stores) and 500ml boiling water until you get the consistency of thick custard. Add this mixture to a 9 litre watering can and fill with water to dilute the mixture.
Gardening FAQ
The problem with your soil resisting hydration is not uncommon. It usually begins with the soil being watered incompletely and then drying more than it should. After that it can become hydrophobic and actually repel water! The ingredient in the soil that is causing that problem is peat.
This is in part because it is harder for oxygen and water to penetrate into highly compacted soil. The lack of moisture can cause compacted soil to become dry, and you may have found that dry areas were denser than moist ones.
Add organic matter such as compost, peat moss or leaf mold when loosening the soil.
Like a gardening trowel, a hand cultivator is a handheld tool ideal for smaller gardening needs. This multi-pronged tool will easily break up tough soil and loosen compacted dirt and gravel. Hand cultivators are often available as a combination tool with a hoe (also called an adze) on the opposite side.
Add moisture with a garden sprinkler and allow the soil to become saturated but not soggy and turn into mud. Place a garden sprinkler in the area that you want to soften the soil and let it run until the soil becomes workable. You may have to repeat this process a few times.
Wetting agents and washing detergents work the same way. The addition of ordinary washing detergent can improve the penetration of water in soil, but the effect does not last very long. Also many of these detergents contain compounds that are harmful to growing plants.
Natural Wet is a wetting agent, designed to alleviate plants suffering from stress in unfavorable conditions. By harnessing the resilience of yucca plant extracts, Natural Wet aids plants by regulating water usage while facilitating nutrient absorption in times of heat and moisture stress.
To wet hydrophobic soils, add several drops of liquid dish-washing soap to a watering can filled with water and slowly apply to the soil. The soap breaks the dried soil's surface tension and allows the water to be absorbed. If the hydrophobic condition redevelops, treat it again.
Use organic mulch like grass clippings, sawdust, straw, or shredded leaves for optimum retention of moisture. 3. Plant Shade: Planting shade-loving plants will help protect your soil from direct sunlight which can quickly cause water to evaporate.
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.
After a drought, it's much better for the soil to get a slow and steady rainfall than a heavy amount of rain in a short amount of time. When the soil is too dry, it cannot absorb water in a quick amount of time, which can lead to flooding.
It's not recommended to use dish detergent (like Dawn), laundry detergent, or hand soap (even the “natural” versions), since these soaps contain abrasive ingredients that could harm your plants. For DIY insecticide, organic pure castile liquid soap is the best solution since it's all natural and highly effective.
If you still have concerns, it's easy to make your own soil wetter from agar-agar, a naturally occurring gelling agent derived from various seaweeds and algae. You can buy it in powder form from health food shops.
Lime is the key to solving both problems. Not only does it help loosen soil, it also lowers the acidity (raising the pH) by acting as a base. It also provides the critical plant life cycle nutrients calcium and magnesium.
As discussed above, the best way to make poor soil into perfect soil is to add nutrient-rich organic matter such as compost, aged manure, or leaf mold. The benefits of organic matter are countless! Adding organic matter…