Bark will not generally become hydrophobic unless it is allowed to dry out.

Not sure what time frame constitutes "too long" but you might want to try the 3-4 day interval and see if that fixes the problem first. If said pots are in a windy location, you have to water more frequently.

@mblan13 Right, but I was not watering many of my pots for the entire Winter, so it is quite possible that some of that bark was allowed to dry out. Is there a remediation for that, other than just frequent watering for a while?

In cases like that, I personally soak the entire pot for a short period - 15 to 30 minutes - and then let it drain. Just find a container bigger than your pot, put the pot in it, and then fill the larger container until the water level is right below the rim of your plant container.