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Anyone have a solve for incredibly hydrophobic soil? I got a bag of… | Equipment & Materials | Planta community

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Anyone have a solve for incredibly hydrophobic soil? I got a bag of tropical soil that is so hydrophobic and feels light as dust. Should I saturate it before mixing into my main substrate or keep it dry until I use it?

1 like 6 comments

6 comments

  1. exitJiraffe

    Add some dish soap to the water when you water it, it helps re-bind the water to the soil.

    2 likes
    • Plant Father

      please don’t use dish soap for plants! most brands are much too harsh. castile soap is a safer option

      5 likes
  2. Mullein

    Sounds like peat moss lol. I usually keep my soil mixes dry until I use them, but that does require reconstituting them before potting

    2 likes
    • Mullein

      I put the dry soil in a bucket with water to rehydrate before I get the rest of my potting supplies ready. It can be a bit of a balancing act to get it fully moistened without making it over-saturated. I don’t particularly like peat moss as a soil mix ingredient because it’s a pain to deal with hydrophobic soil after it’s potted in with a plant

      1 like
    • Dave_opuntiaface

      WORD.

      0 likes
  3. Plant Father

    is it peat based? if so, simply soaking the soil first should work, then mix with chunky amendments like coarse perlite, pumice, and orchid bark

    4 likes