To dry out soil quickly, you can apply hydrated lime to the soil, add compost and then turn the soil thoroughly to aerate it.
– Manually Dry Out
Otherwise, manually dry out the soil by using a hair blow dryer, but of course, you will have to remove the plant from the pot so that every section of the root and the soil is dried out.
Excess moisture, also known as moisture stress, can be caused by inadequate water drainage or a pot without any holes. A few things that encourage the growth of fungus include dense soil, a lack of drainage holes, and the wrong pot size. There are beautiful pots with no drainage holes in some homes.
If your potting soil has been sitting in your shed since last year in an opened bag and it's gotten wet, toss it. If it somehow stayed bone dry, it should be OK to use.
Add Organic Material
Aside from adding fertility, organic material is also great for breaking up heavy dense soils. By mixing and bonding with soil particles it allows for more air space and drainage. As a side note adding organic material can also help dry soils hold moisture.
Engineered controls on water
These practices are extremely labor intensive, but are extremely effective at ameliorating excess water. Installing subsurface drainage can reduce local water tables and improve drainage. Water furrows can be used to increase the distance between the soil surface and the local water table.
In general terms, if the soil in a pot takes more than two weeks to dry out, it is probably drying too slowly and may cause problems for your plant. Overwatering is one of the most common problems when growing houseplants, resulting in soggy soil conditions that cause root rot.
3. How Long Can You Store Potting Soil? Opened bags of new potting soil can retain quality for around 6 to 12 months. For unopened and unused potting soil, you can store it for about a year or two before it goes bad.
"For most plants, especially carnivorous ones, moldy soil can take nutrients from the plant and end up being toxic to its growth," Brown says. A heavily infected plant is more susceptible to diseases and other stressors and in some severe cases, moldy soil can lead to the death of a plant.
Plants growing in soil that is too wet suffer from a lack of oxygen which leads to the death of roots and a loss of vigor in the plant. Stunted slow growth with yellowing leaves is a symptom of over watering.
As long as used potting soil still looks fairly fluffy and doesn't emit a rotten odor, gardeners should be able to use it again with good results. However, if the plants formerly grown in the potting soil struggled with disease or insect problems, it's probably best to discard the mix and start fresh next season.
Used potting soil may contain pests and pathogens.
Insects can lay their eggs in the soil only to hatch right in time for planting season. Old potting soil can contain plant pathogens such as species of the fungus Fusarium, which is easily spread by wind or fungus gnats in moldy potting soil.
Potting soil vs. potting mix: Though these terms are used interchangeably, there is a difference. Potting soil may or may not contain soil, while potting mix is strictly a soilless medium. Potting mix is sterile, which makes it safer for plants because it doesn't contain pathogens such as fungus or other diseases.
Organic Potting Mix
Plants typically benefit from being repotted every 12 to 18 months, depending on how actively they are growing. Some slow growers, like cacti, can call the same pot home for years, but will just require a soil replenishment.
Drying reagents, such as Quicklime, Lime Kiln Dust (LKD), and Calciment<sup>®</sup> can be used to adjust the moisture and improve the workability of problematic soils. When encountering wet site conditions, lime-based reagents accelerate drying with heat generated through exothermic hydration reactions.
Feel the weight of the pot
Wait another day or two and then feel it again. If it doesn't seem lighter than a day or two before, you're good to water again! The soil should be completely dry. If it does feel lighter, wait another day or two and check the weight again.
Growing in saturated soil is a challenge because it can drown plant roots, which require oxygen to breathe. This can lead roots to rot, fungal diseases to develop, and ultimately, spell death for the plant. If you have an area with wet soil in mind for planting, the soil should drain 24-48 hours after a rain.
Give the soil a squeeze to check for moistness. If you squeeze and the soil sticks together then it is moist. But if the soil crumbles or it remains in a loose pile as you squeeze then the ground needs more water. Now drop the soil and brush the soil off your hands.
Simply expose the leaves, flowers or seeds to warm, dry air. Leave the herbs in a well ventilated area until the moisture evaporates. Sun drying is not recommended because the herbs can lose flavor and color.
Air drying
Tie with a rubber band and hang upside down in a place with low light levels and good ventilation. They should be ready in a week or two.