Hot water? I just got a bunch of Scottsmans mixes from Home Depot. I really
like the texture, but both types had so much peat I had to soak the pots to
get them moist. Almost killed one of my trees before I noticed the whole
half-gallon of water I poured on it ran right over the top and down out one
hole and left the soil dry.

John

"Kay Lancaster" wrote in message
...
I planted some bamboo seeds in potting soil and when I pour water on it
the water just stays on top. If I let it soak in, it only goes like 1/2"
down. Do I have to let it soak in longer?

Put the whole pot in tepid (baby-bath-temperature) water, up to the rim,
overnight. Allow to drain. Keep the soil moist or you'll probably have
to
do it again.

An alternative can be to add a small amount of surfactant to the water and
top water. In the past, I've found one drop of shampoo per quart of water
satisfactory.

Next time you use this potting soil, throw some hot water in the bag a
couple
days before hand, close the bag, and knead it a bit... then leave for 48
hours
or so before planting. It'll probably wet easier.

Kay