Water Retention Problem

sunshine mix #4 in a 1.5 square foot space about 20 inches deep of soil

plywood box with no drainage on the bottom and water is going straight through the dirt to bottom and causing wetness in the wood and white mold. i cant do much as far as adding a drip tray due to space restrictions and stealthness.

is there anything i can add on top the soil to hold the water around the roots better?


thanks for any tips

edit- no im not over watering, im using the minimum amount the females need right now to try and keep it dry-ish

Plywood probably isn't the best thing to use because of the mold and it will eventually fall apart. You should have some drainage holes in the bottom, but if it's running through it's ok. I water mine in the bathtub or kitchen sink. As far as retaining water, just put it in the tub and soak it down really good, the soil will hold all the water you need. You can also add perlite.

You can add a tsp of dishsoap to your water, to help the soil retain moisture better. However - you're going to have to find something else to grow in. One, you have to have drainage, and two, you do not want mold anywhere near your plants. If you continue in the plywood, you'll lose your plants to either mold, or root rot.

You can find a rubbermaid container of pretty much any size you need, to fit in your space.

DoeEyed said:

You can add a tsp of dishsoap to your water, to help the soil retain moisture better. However - you're going to have to find something else to grow in. One, you have to have drainage, and two, you do not want mold anywhere near your plants. If you continue in the plywood, you'll lose your plants to either mold, or root rot.

You can find a rubbermaid container of pretty much any size you need, to fit in your space.

Click to expand...

ok so i figured i was gonna have to rip everything out. theres 3 plants in full flower all in this tiny space. its gonna be a pain to somehow transfer them to anything as its an odd shaped space they are in.

i had a garbage bag as a liner on the walls of the box but i think the roots popped holes in the bottom over time

Speaking of, that might be an option for you - they sell grow bags as well, might have to order online - inexpensive though, and you can make them fit in an odd space.

Water retention had always been a problem for me. Despite working out five times a week my body weight used to fluctuate as much as ten pounds. Just when I accepted this fluctuation as part of my make-up, I heard about Expelis so I tried it thinking I had nothing to lose (or did I?). I began using Expelis two months before my daughter’s wedding and the results have been tremendous. My weight no longer fluctuates