Hello proger!
"ive pushed and packed the soil strongly into the pots thinking it will improve roots growth. its completely wrong right?" Do not strongly pack the soil. Lightly tamp the soil.
Different soils are affected by water surface tension in different ways. I use and suggest a good humus. As musashi suggested you can use yucca extract powder or you can use agar-agar. Both can be purchased at garden centers or online and sometimes health food stores. You can buy a ready made product or make your own. Google things like 'soil surfactants', 'wetting agents', or 'soil wetting agents'. Lots of good info to help you understand the problem with water surface tension and soil hydrophobia!
Here is a little excerpt from a site called Organic Gardener. Paragraph's 3 and 4 are useful to know for outdoor growers using soil!
Is your soil afraid of water? JUSTIN RUSSELL shares tips for combatting hydrophobic soil.
www.organicgardener.com.au
"itâs easy to make your own soil wetter from agar-agar, a naturally occurring gelling agent derived from various seaweeds and algae. You can buy it in powder form from health food shops. To make a soil wetter, simply mix the powder with boiling water to make a paste, then combine 250mL of paste with 4.5L of water. Apply to water repellent soil and potting mix. Agar is so benign that itâs most commonly used as a vegetarian substitute for gelatine.
Regardless of which product you choose, the best way to approach soil wetters is by seeing them as a bandaid solution to a more chronic problem. Thereâs no doubt they help water penetrate into hydrophobic soils. But theyâre a short term fix only.
The best long term solution to most soil woes is to add organic matter, and the best sources of organic matter are composts, manures and plant residues (green manure). When these amendments fully decompose, they form humus, a stable material that can achieve a kind of soil yin-yang: Drainage and moisture holding ability.
Humus achieves this by virtue of a sponge like structure. It opens up clay soil, increasing aeration and allowing excess moisture to drain away. But like a sponge, it is able to soak up and hold water to a capacity of 100 times its own weight, gradually releasing moisture to plants as required. Above all, humus creates the ideal habitat for micro-organisms. If youâre going to solve soil hydrophobia, these little critters are what you need to encourage. Theyâre natureâs soil wetters, and unlike the wetting agents you buy from a shop, come with a host of benefits for your garden that cost not a single extra dollar."
Fun Fact - Due to water surface tension I have to add a product called "Water Wetter" to the cooling system of my race car. Who knew that water needed to be wetter than Mother Nature made it? lol DO NOT USE THIS FOR PLANTS!!!
Longball