To dry out soil quickly, you can apply hydrated lime to the soil, add compost and then turn the soil thoroughly to aerate it. Adding hydrated lime and compost will help absorb the water in your soil, and turning it all will help distribute the water in the waterlogged soil throughout your garden.
That potting soil is worn out because the peat moss has decomposed. That peat moss can decompose even if you never take it out of the bag. If your potting soil has been sitting in your shed since last year in an opened bag and it's gotten wet, toss it.
The good news is that most plants will bounce back between 7-14 days if they're given proper care (which includes rehydration). If this isn't possible because major damage was done or little healthy root system exists then expect about 2 weeks until improvement can be seen.
To dry out soil quickly, you can apply hydrated lime to the soil, add compost and then turn the soil thoroughly to aerate it.
Overwatering your plants often has a side effect that oxygen can't reach your plant's roots anymore. By letting the soil dry out, oxygen will once again be able to reach the roots. This is often enough to help your plant recover and you can water it again.
The duration of the rain is the first aspect that impacts how quickly the ground will dry. If the rain was brief, such as 15 minutes, the ground may dry up in 6 hours and you may be able to work on it afterward. However, if there is continuous rain for 4 days, the ground may take longer than 4 days to dry up.
The reason that potting media (the plural form of potting medium) retain water is because they are absorbent, and can wick water upwards against the force of gravity, preventing it all from draining out.
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.
To fix waterlogged soil, you are going to want to remove the soggy soil or dry it up. Then, be sure that your pot (for indoor plants or outdoor potted plants) or planting area has plenty of drainage to prevent overwatering from happening again.
Make a ball of soil and drop it. If the ball crumbles, your garden is ready for seeds. If it holds its shape or breaks into two clumps, it's still too wet for planting. You can also step into the garden and then step back and look at the footprint you've left in the soil.
Poor Drainage
No matter what kind of indoor plant you grow, drainage holes are essential. A container or pot with inadequate drainage or no holes is bad for the health of the plant. Wet soil is most frequently caused by pots without any holes in them.
Incorporate Sand or Gravel
If you have heavy clay soil, adding sand or gravel to your garden soil will help improve its structure and drainage. Mix a one inch layer of coarse sand or gravel into the top 6 inches of soil and work it in with a shovel.
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.
Your letting the soil get too dry. The surface tension if water will hold it together on top of the soil because there is no moisture in the soil to break into the surface tension if the water you've just added. Just wait a few minutes and it'll soak in but really you should water a little and often.
Sand. Sand is one of the main properties of any type of soil. The grains do not retain or hold onto water, so they are perfect for use in the bottom of indoor planters to aid in drainage. Sand often used by professional growers and is usually mixed in within greenhouse and nursery growing mixes.
Potting soils often contains peat moss which is valued because it decomposes slowly, is lightweight, and retains water. Paradoxically though, when peat moss dries out it is very difficult to re-wet. Bags of potting soil can even dry out in storage.
Often, soil is dried in an oven in the laboratory. This is usually at 105°C for measurement of the total water content (Topp et al., 2008), but may also be at lower temperatures to remove part of the water.
Make a quick check of soil moisture conditions by taking a handful of soil from planting depth (or tillage depth if planning on doing tillage) and press it in your hands to make a mud ball. If wet soil sticks to your hand, it's probably too wet.
Signs of root rot are slow growth, mushy stems, and wilting, yellow, distorted leaves (especially when the plant has been well watered, as wilting leaves can also be a sign of a dry plant).
A yellow leaf has lost its chlorophyll (pigment) and it can't turn green again even after you correct the problem. Don't worry, if the plant regains its health, it's possible that new leaves will fill in during the next growing season. Growing plants is always a matter of patience.
To revive the plant, you can soak it in water and then adopt a predictable watering schedule that uses the same amount of water each time. Remove dead leaves: Improper care may cause most leaves on the plant to die, and it's usually best to remove leaves that have become entirely brown.
You can gently take the plant out of its original pot and place the root ball on top of a layer of newspaper. The newspaper will help to absorb excess water. You may need to change the newspapers a few times until it has removed as much of the water as possible.
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.