When watering, water runs straight through, out the bottom on one plant only. How would I fix this?
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If possible, I would soak the pot until all the dirt is wet throughout, then let it drain a bit and dry in the tent a couple days before watering again…
Typically the dry parts in the soil will form veins that’ll just take the water out of the pot as fast as you can put it in
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Welcome to OG @Popop I like toastey jakes idea, so thoroughly soak, or you can spritz the top with a spray bottle and then water.
HG
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Sometimes I have to pour very slowly to make sure it absorbs. Pour a little step back. Pour a little step back.
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Put a tray of some sort under it so it can catch the runoff and allow it to soak in from bottom.
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You can use a surfactant such as a few drops of Castile soap to help with absorption too.
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I like this. I use yucca.
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Sounds also like you’re using a peat based mix that didn’t have a wetting agent applied. All a wetting agent really is something that breaks the surface tension of the water w/ the peat. A single drop of dish dawn soap in a bucket of water will help that water soak into the hydrophobic peat. Aloe mixed w water will also achieve the same thing
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make more holes in the pots that arnt draining.
that pathing can be fixed by raking the top layer of the soil with your fingers before watering, by loosening up the top layer you let it soak in.
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Saucer. I like to get a size bigger than my pot as my medium is very open for lack of a better term.
I flood and fill the saucer, and in 5 minutes it is all sucked back into the root system.
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@popop Welcome to the OG!
I believe you are getting some really great advice above.
Best place to start is to put the pot in a Saucer and let the soil uptake water from the bottom. Let the pot sit in the water for a bit to become wet throughout. It may take awhile depending how dry your soil is. Lift the pot and when it feels heavy like the soil is wet throughout remove the pot.
I would love to see a picture of the offending plant is possible. Water running through your pot can also mean that you plant is root bound. Please take a look at the bottom of your pot. Are any roots coming out the bottom. If roots are visibly coming out the bottom of the pot it is time to up pot your plant.
Question: What is the soil mix that you are using? As @newb2.0 stated above when peat based mixes dry out they become hydrophobic and will actually repel water.
If you get a chance please post a pic of the plant.
And as always here is to the good times to come on the OG…
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I use a surfactant called ThermX70, it breaks the surface tension of the water and makes it more absorbable. There is a popular product called Quillaja that does the same. Also, spray the top of the soil and wait a minute then pour in a small amount and wait 5 mins then come back and finish watering. You might have to go slow but it should soak in.
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Take a bucket fill it a quarter way or so then put your pot/planter inside till it sucks up the water then take it outa the bucket to drain…its the simplest/easiest solution.