Hi
Soap is an emulsifier usually you mix it in sprays to help break up up whatever you are spraying and make it stick... a humic, fulvic acid product would be good to mix with it . You will need to find a garden center or go online to get it.....
Then add Earth worm castings , compost and peat as much as you can up to half.
Add some organic fertilizer wet it down with your spray , mulch it and keep it damp for a month
Good luck

I have noticed the super slow, standing water effect you mention. It always happens when my soil is dry. For this reason I do two things.

First, when I mulch, I rake the first layer into the soil, breaking it up and improving the drainage. Then I add the other two layers for a depth of 3-4 inches of mulch. This helps to contain the water rather than having it trickle away across the soil.

Second, when I spot water my plants (most of mine are established and don't really need extra water) I do a fairly light pass with the sprayer, hitting all the plants that need water. When I get to the last plant, I go back to the first and start over, giving a fair bit more water on this second pass. The first pass primes the soil, breaking up that impermeable dusty layer which then allows the second pass to actually penetrate the soil and go deeper.

When putting in plants, I always fill the hole w/ water 1st - & make it a bit larger than necessary - also soak the plant's roots well & keep a trickle from the hose @ the base of larger plants/trees for a few days.

If the 'soil' is dusty & nonabsorbent, I mix the water in to make mud before planting in it. It is more work, but definitely worth it.

Once plants are growing, the root systems seem to help the soil hold moisture. & of course, adding compost & mulching thickly helps build tilth.

The famous non-wetting florida sand phenomenon. Nevertheless, you'll notice when it downpours or you run the hose on the ground, water does not stand for any length of time - it finds the lowest spot and soaks right in (as it will in the pots if you let it sit, often unevenly if the surface is not very level). I aim to make vegetable beds quite level or even a little concave and plant near the center for this reason.

I agree with all of the above and, unfortunately, it will all have to be repeated from time to time. Another good ingredient is greensand - it is a source of potassium but also holds all the above amendments together and with the sandy soil.

Hi
A method I've tried which works fair is "Lasaga gardening" Basicly what you do is lay down cardboard,newspaper over the area . Put your appropriate mix on top of this and plant. saves digging removing weeds and is ready to go for the first year.
Naturally you will need some type of edging to contain the soil and make it deep enough to contain whatever you're growing. It will breakdown and need renewing the second year but works far better than "mixing" and is far less labor intensive for sure .. Unless you have LOTS of newspapers would suggest heavy cardboard as it's much slower to break down and will last well into the second year. Google "Lasagna gardening" lots of info !!
gary

In addition, and this may be more than you want to deal with, applying a wetting agent, which you allude to above, will very quickly eliminate this problem. Now wetting agents are not soaps. They are rather advanced detergents. Still, for your small-scale problem, it might not be unwise to just try some of your dish detergent. The reason pros don't tend to do that is that, say you're Proctor and Gamble or whatever mega corporation marketing household products: You may vary your recipe from time to time as supply prices change, etc. But the companies that make professional horticultural wetting agents lock down their formulas and go for consistency. In addition, and you would quickly see this if you held a jug of pro product, these formulas use rather obscure and advanced chemicals, far beyond "dish soap". Nevertheless, for your small area, it might not be a bad idea to just try a solution of whatever dish detergent you've got.

All that being said, if you really want to get serious-and have the budget for it-there are pro-grade wetting agents. I've used these in water-repellant soil situations and the difference is striking.....but doesn't come cheap.

Well-made and well-cured compost is the number-one best soil additive. I don't know that any of the bagged products are really all that good. But if your municipality has a composting program, you may be able to find actual compost.

+oM

FerretLady,

What location in Central FL are you? Locals can point you to local suppliers and educational resources.

Veronica in Thonotosassa

I take my finger and draw a deep circle around the base of the plant. Water will pool and then soak in....