Greetings all,

The soil in my training pots seem to repel water instead of absorb it. I'm
using commercial grade 'standard' potting mix with added coarse river sand
(about 10-15%). Each time I water, the water either wells around the top
without being absorbed by the soil, or it just seems to run down the insides
of the pot. When the water _does_ seem to be absorbed, it only penertrates
about 5mm down, leaving the rest dry. Additionally, a dry 'crust' of about
5-10mm tends to form on some of the newly repotted plants.
I've tried soaking the pots in buckets of water for 30mins or so, which
_seems_ to help.
I was wondering if perhaps this is a water quality issue (high calcium
content?)

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Martin

Second month of spring here in South Eastern Australia.
Average temps - 20 deg C - 68 deg F
Pots in full sun.