Question about the speed of my runoff. (organic soil)

Mo9000

Mo9000

Active Member
Hi guys.

First off I just want to say, I don't post on here much at all and wasn't sure if this was the right place to put this, so please forgive me if it should be somewhere else.
I'm growing some outdoor plants at the moment in 20 litre (or about 5 gal) pots using an organic soil. My medium holds on to enough moisture that I have to water every 2 to 3 days, but im getting an insanely fast runoff after watering. I start seeing runoff within about a minute, no matter how slowly I try to water, but all my plants are looking strong and healthy for now.
So my question is, do you think seeing runoff this quickly is okay, or could this lead to problems or complications down the line?

I appreciate any input or advice you may have on the subject.
 
Kingrow1

Kingrow1

Well-Known Member
Drier soil allows water to run through quicker at first. Water some to wet the soil a little then ten mins later give the rest see if that makes a difference.

If it aint broke dont break it :-)
 
MidcoastOrganic

MidcoastOrganic

Member
It helps to water really slowly, but you can still get dry spots which can be a real problem. Dry peat moss is hydrophic.

You can rectify it by bottom watering for a while, just make sure those roots aren't sitting in water too long.

And always make sure you pre-wet peat moss before adding it to your soil mix, it helps a lot. If you don't, it can be really hard to get it properly wet once it's mixed up.
 
Mo9000

Mo9000

Active Member
Hey, thanks for the reply. Okay cool, I'll try the bottom feeding method. My mix does contain a fair amount of coco peat, which as far as I know has very similar properties to peat moss, but I definitely could be wrong.

I think my soil holds onto enough moisture but I was just thinking that over time the nutrient content in the soil might depleat quicker than I would like, with how much runoff I get.
 
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