I have some plants covered with a thck layer of cedar mulch, and others with regular wood mulch planted in soil that I got in bulk from Living Earth.
What I notice is that the water appears to soak in. However, when I stick my finger into either the cedar mulch or reg mulch/soil, it's bone dry starting around 1/2" deep. Some of the water is being absorbed into the mulch, however, 90% of the rest is going somewhere - just not into the ground. The only way I can make sure it soaks in fairly well is to stick my soaker sprayer on top of the ground next to the plant and hold it there for 30 seconds or so and poke holes into the ground with my finger to help. Does anyone know what is required to get soil into a condition to where whatever amount of water is applied goes to the plant roots ?
I feel like I'm wasting my time and alot of water.
I have also lost a few plants due to them not getting any water when I thought it was.
I also feel like the bulk soil is not that great as well. (i.e. quality).

So in summary, the cedar mulch that I got in bulk and also the bulk soil seems to repel water.

Any comments on bulk soil/compost/cedar mulch and why the soil would repel water ?

Is the mulch fine shredded cedar? That could be your problem. Get some coarser cut mulch. You can scrape away the fine mulch, put the coarse mulch down (about 2-3 inches deep), then put an inch or two of the fine on top of that if you wish. I do not know if Living Earth has the bigger chunk kind, but Soil Building Systems does. http://soilbuildingsystems.com/

I have purchased both the fine shredded cedar and the rustic cut hardwood mulches from Soil Building Systems. I was hesitant about the rough-cut mulch until I tried it. I love it! The look is much better than I imagined. They call it "rustic cut hardwood" and it is great because it allows for aeration and water penetration! Furthermore, the pieces of mulch interlock so they stay in place better.

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Nadine Bielling
Moderator
Gardener Exchange Forum

The Laws of Ecology:
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Well, it's alot on the very fine side with medium pieces in it. Alot of it is almost powdery, it's so broken down.
So, that may explain the cedar mulch problem.

However, some of the soil that I have (from bulk) acts the same way.
It looks like the water is soaking in, but it really isn't.
So, after many weeks of hand watering, you haven't even gotten close to the roots. I had several newish plants/small shrubs die last year because the of the poor quality soil that I got in bulk.

Kind of makes me nervous now to use anything less than a good quality bagged manure based compost like Black Kow that will absorb water.

I know just what you are talking about. I purchased 10 cubic yards of compost from the city of Plano when I started up my new garden last year, and the stuff seemed dead and I found that water would not penetrate it. I had taken some from the pile to use around a couple tomato plants and was amazed. It was just as you described. So I tilled in the rest, and bought some bags of good quality compost to put around the base of my new plants this spring.

I also bought several more smaller loads of Plano compost last year and put a couple inches all around my newly planted 4' fruit trees, with a 4" layer of rough cut hardwood mulch on top that I got from roadside tree trimmers. I made large rings around the trees, about 10' in diameter. Though I have huge cracks in my fields from the drought the trees are doing great. (I have noticed that the quality of the Plano compost does vary from load to load.)

The best compost by far is the compost that I make, though I don't always have enough. Aware of the potential watering problem with store bought (even some I thought was good quality in bags), I always watch how the water is absorbed when planting something new. I like to smell and feel the compost too before I buy too much now (bags or bulk).

To remedy your current problem, I would suggest using a small hand gardening tool to move the current mulch away, then breakup and loose the dirt around your surviving plants and add some more good quality compost from bags just around the base of each. Just an inch or so in a foot or two diameter ring, depending on the plant size. Also, get the larger mulch to go on top as Nadine suggested.

One other comment though. After tilling in the Plano compost and letting the garden sit over the winter, I found a lot of worms in the soil this spring. I had found NOTHING alive in the soil early last fall when I started working in the garden. So hopefully, despite what you are seeing, the compost you added has helped organically improve your soil.

Mary