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.
Two possible reasons. Extremely low humidity in your home or you have the plant sitting in hot sunlight. Another possible cause is if you allow the plant to get very dry, the planting media will resist rewetting. Then, when you try to water the pot , the soil is not really getting wet so it's dry to begin with.
There is no truly quick fix to wet, soggy soil. To help speed the process, break up and turn the soil to expose more of the water to the air. Mix in some dry compost or other organic material.
In most cases, you can leave your plants soil to dry out and it will recover after 2-3 weeks. You might have to prune some of the damaged leaves but in the end your plant will make it's come back!
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.
If your yard dries out within a day or two after a rainstorm, that is considered normal. A yard with a wetness problem has puddles or soggy areas that persist for several days after storms or are always present.
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. Eventually the soil will become moist enough to break up. A gentle, steady rain will also do the trick.
What Does Soggy Soil Look Like? Soggy soil will look dark and damp, and will hold its form when squeezed and compacted and will have a plastic consistency. If you squeeze darker soil in your hand, and it maintains that shape, your water is soggy.
You can treat the soil with quicklime or hydrated lime to dry it out quickly. Put on some gardening gloves to keep your hands protected and spread 2 inches (5.1 cm) of lime over the surface of the soil. Let the lime sit for about an hour to allow it to evaporate the excess water in the soil.
How to check for root rot. The main signs to look out for are: yellowing, wilting leaves, wet soil that isn't drying, black, wet roots, quickly declining health, and stunted growth.
Lime is highly effective at increasing soil pH in acidic soils. Even small applications can increase pH by 0.5 to 1 unit. The degree of change depends on the soil's buffering capacity. Soils with low cation exchange capacity (CEC) will see greater pH increases from liming.
Test by squeezing a handful of soil together. Open your hand out giving it a small shake as you do. If the soil mostly holds together and a few crumbs fall away then it's perfectly moist. If it holds its shape and you can infact shape it into something – way too wet.
Simply add organic debris to the soil surface and let your “underground herd” break it down. As it does, it will improve your soil's texture and make nutrients available to your plants. So don't be shy about applying copious amounts of organic residue to your soil.
Too much water can be just as damaging to plants as too little water. Before watering, check your garden's soil moisture with your finger. Push it into the ground around your plants. You want the top 2 or 3 inches of the soil to be dry, and the soil below that to be moist.
Overwatered plants can sometimes recover on their own, but it depends on the plant and the extent of the overwatering. If the roots have rotted, the plant will likely not recover. However, if the overwatering has only caused the leaves to wilt, the plant may be able to bounce back.
Add organic matter
Forking in some well-rotted farmyard manure or garden compost to wet soil will improve its drainage. A coarse organic matter is ideal, as this will help to create the air pockets needed to boost drainage. Find out more about the types of organic matter to use in the garden.
This smell is a result of the bacteria that grow in anaerobic conditions, like the bottom of a pot with wet soil and nowhere for the water to go. Shake off as much soil from the plant's roots as you can, then rinse them under running water. Gently massage the roots to loosen up any dead sections.
Use the finger test or a moisture meter to check the soil. Pull back the mulch and stick your fingers an inch or two into the soil – if they come up clean, it's time to water.
Use soil wetting products and organic matter
These products, available in granular, liquid concentrate or hose-on form, can dramatically improve water penetration. “Soil wetting agents help by penetrating through the waxy layer, enabling water to be absorbed throughout the soil,” she explains.
It's also possible to use diluted dishwashing liquid or dishwater/laundry water as a soil wetter because the surfactants in the detergent break surface tension in water like wetting agents do. However, be cautious when using detergents in your garden and choose environmentally friendly/biodegradable options.
Soil turns hydrophobic when its individual particles become coated in waxy, organic compounds that work as waterproofing agents. These compounds are naturally present in most soils, created by fungal activity or through the release of a plant's essential oils.