Waterlogging

[BorgFace]

I use common, store-bought, free-draining potting mix and/or cactus mix in plastic pots. My plants seem ok with this arragement, but if ever one dies I usually discover when changing the soil that it is extremely waterlogged and gluggy.

I was wondering if there are any tips for reducing waterlogging (besides the obvious, don't water so much ). In a few pots I have some water-crystals, could this be a problem? Also, how often should I be watering my plants?

Planting them out in the yard is a no-no at this stage. I am still living with my parents and they would be sorely disappointed if I ruined their lovely balinese garden with my often invasive ethnobotanicals :D

I just had a thought. Is the plant size/pot ratio likely to account for waterlogging? For instance, if I have a small plant in a big pot and water that say once a week, would I be asking for trouble? Obviously the water will drain at the same rate but maybe the soil will remain wetter for longer because it isn't being utilised by the plant.

Anyway, thanks for any tips!

:D

[teonanacatl]

with water crystals u dont havta water as much. so dont water them as much. dont plant small plants in big pots for that reason. your better off stepping up the pot sizes gradually. up here its not uncommon to water twice a day when its really hot.

[Floyd]

adding course sand will help. Or if your plant will tolerate the ph, adding some bark or woodchips will also help. Although they'll actually decompose rather quickly and you'll be back to potting mix (which is usually made of composted bark)

If your cheap like me a good place to get course "sand" is to go to a local stream and shovel up some gavel from the bottom, screen it for desired size and wash it good to get rid of the silt. It sounds like alot of trouble but its not really, but if your streams don't have that kind of bottom or you don't have any streams. Course sand certainly isn't expensive

[Torsten]

the glugginess of potting mixes is due to the pine bark decomposing. this is accelerated by excess water and by high alkalinity.

Adding some coarse sand to the potting mix is a good way to increase drainage, but means you have to water more often.

Water crystals speed up decomposition as microorganisms thrive in the constant wetness. If the plant can tolerate it then its not a bad idea to let your pot dry out a little every few weeks.

Drying out is not an option for tropicals. To prevent early decomposition with these it is a good diea to put some pebbles or expanded clay balls in the bottom of your pot, so that no soil touches the bottom. This will dramatically slow the process. Use a larger pot if the pebbles reduce your soil volume too much.

Pine bark (the main component in good potting mixes) produces acidic compounds as it decomposes. Pine based potting mixes can easily get to pH4.5 over a few months if nothing is added. At such low pH the decomposition slows dramatically, but the nutrients also become unavailable. Such soil is only suitable for some aussie natives.

Adding lime will raise the pH, but will also speed up decomposition.

This issue is a major problem in our nursery as we have very alkaline water. Simply by watering we raise the pH of our potting soil to the point where the soil decomposition is highly accelerated and all plants have to be repotted every few months.

[BorgFace]

Thanks for all the great responses guys.

What I would like to know is if there is a way to know the soil has broken down and become waterlogged.

Taking them out of their pots constantly obviously isn't the way to go, so what do you do?

I remember a few years back there were these little electronic hydrometers or something that you used to stick into a pot to see if it is sufficiently watered, would these be of help?

BF.

[planthelper]

maybe you could add sulphur to your pottingmix or even to your water source.

...sulphur is cheap if bought at rual shops but very exxie at the garden supply shops...