soil not absorbing water!!

K

Kbro1988

Member
so, ive been germinating my seeds for a few days now, finally got them to pop. went to put them in a grow dome and water them, and the water just built up and beaded on the top of the soil.

im using miracle grow seedling starter soil. is there anything i could possibly mix with the soil to make it absorb water? or should i just pitch it and buy something different? because if i can possibly mix something with the soil to make it salvageable for this stage in growth, then id rather do that than spend money.
 
chrishydro

chrishydro

Well-Known Member
Seedling soil is very hard to get wet but it is what you want to use. Just keep them wet and if they are still in the dome the moisture in there will keep them going. In the mean time, I am guessing you are going to solo cup next, fill them with soil now and water the crap out of them while you wait for her to be done in the dome.


The seedling soil is a must in my opinion
 
brotherjericho

brotherjericho

Well-Known Member
Sounds like it is mostly peat moss. Once you get peat wet and let it dry out, it can become quite hydrophobic. Just give it a minute or two, it will absorb the water. You can also add a drop of dish soap to your water to make it "wetter" so the peat will take it up more readily.
 
K

Kbro1988

Member
okay, i spent the past hour trying to water them, and the only part of the soil that is getting wet is about an 1/8th of an inch on the top. rest is bone dry man. the cardboard-ish little grow cubes for the grow dome were soaked, but the soil wasnt.
 
er0senin

er0senin

Well-Known Member
could be that the soil is poorly composted. its usually a problem when buying cheap soils tho..
 
K

Kbro1988

Member
er0senin said:
could be that the soil is poorly composted. its usually a problem when buying cheap soils tho..
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well....this was like a 3 dollar bag of miracle grow that was on clearance because summer is almost over. but i mean....its miracle grow, isnt that like a big name in soils and what not? why would it be crap? lol
 
vilify

vilify

Well-Known Member
break apart the soil on top. that or take a garden tool to poke holes in the top of the soil.

always add coarse perlite to your soils 50/50 mix.
 
vilify

vilify

Well-Known Member
Kbro1988 said:
well....this was like a 3 dollar bag of miracle grow that was on clearance because summer is almost over. but i mean....its miracle grow, isnt that like a big name in soils and what not? why would it be crap? lol
Click to expand...
a big name for shitty house grown veggies or flowers.
 
K

Kbro1988

Member
vilify said:
a big name for shitty house grown veggies or flowers.
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damnit, go figure. lol. i guess im going to go get a bag of that perlite and mix it in and try again. out of frustration i threw out the cubes and soil...and seeds =/.

but they were only bag seeds, ill get some more in the next few hours and start germinating again. its only a couple day setback.
 
vilify

vilify

Well-Known Member
Kbro1988 said:
damnit, go figure. lol. i guess im going to go get a bag of that perlite and mix it in and try again. out of frustration i threw out the cubes and soil...and seeds =/.

but they were only bag seeds, ill get some more in the next few hours and start germinating again. its only a couple day setback.
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may have been a bit harsh on that statement lol, but its not the best choice. look for a bag of dr earth if you cant spend the extra for say pro-mix, or ocean forest etc.
 
Vindicated

Vindicated

Well-Known Member
I use MG Seed Starting Mix all the time. Its pure peat moss and yes, if it gets dry it repels water. A simple trick is to fill up a tray with a few inches of water, sit the containers in the tray, and let the water soak from the bottom up. It takes a little while but the peat moss will absorb the water. If you really have such a hard time keeping your soil moist then you might want to switch to coco coir instead of a peat product.

Fox Farm Light Warrior is also peat moss and will do the exact same thing. So it's not that it's a cheap product. It's that it's peat moss and that's how peat moss works. Its really a stupid problem on your part, because the plants shouldn't have gotten that dry to begin with. Luckily it's an easy fix.
 
Vindicated

Vindicated

Well-Known Member
Buying Ocean Forest or similar potting soils for seeds is bad advice. Just watch the marijuana problems threads for a bit and you'll see lots of people doing that and getting nut burn. Stick with seed starting mixes and learn to water correctly and in a timely matter. And don't try using a toothpick to break up the top layer of soil. Thats just dumb. Water from the bottom. Thats it.
 
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