Garden & Landscape plant articles > Solution for soil that repells water

water repellent soil, non wetting soil, a solution

Question:

Hello,

            Last spring I planted two Hakea laurina in my garden and they have never grown. The soil is hydrophobic (repells water) so I mixed in some mushroom mulch.  They are trying to grow and I've had new shoots reasonably consistently - but soon after they appear they start to shrivel and end up looking dry, greyish and half-dead.   I have mulched the garden and water them carefully.  Yet nothing has made any difference.  Can you think of a solution?  Sue

Answer:

Hi Sue,

            This is a classic case of water repellent soil.   Because no mater how much water you put on the plants do not respond, they basically are not getting any water around the roots and dry out.   It can develop in sandy soils or soils which have a lot of orangic matter.  Once the soil drys out it will not wet again.   In the short term the solution is to use Wetting Agents.  In the longer term the best way to solve the problem is to add clay into the soil.  One very good product is Munns lawn and garden wetta. 

Regards questions@gardenguide.com.au

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