My mom and I are getting back into gardening after a few years off due to moving. We previously lived in Oklahoma where it was easier to plant directly into the ground. Now that we're in Florida, we're not sure about the soil conditions here. We have seeds and a gardening starter kit filled with soil, but we're having trouble getting the soil to stay wet. We've tried bottom watering, but it hasn't worked, and spraying the top just makes it look wet temporarily. What can we do to properly moisten the soil?
2 Answers
It sounds like you're dealing with soil that dries out quickly. Since you mentioned it's from a starter kit, the soil might be hydrophobic, meaning it repels water. One trick I've used is to put the soil in a large bowl and add a few cups of water, then mix it together like you would knead dough. This helps the water get throughout the soil better. Just give it some time to absorb the water, and it should help!
Hey! Just to clarify, is the soil in your kit or in the ground? If it’s in the kit, consider that sometimes the top layer can dry out even if it looks wet. If you can, try removing the top layer and checking deeper to see if it’s actually moist underneath. Adding a layer of mulch on top once it's wet can also help retain moisture moving forward!
Yeah, it's in the kit. I’ll try moving the top layer, thanks for the tip!