8 Reasons Your Indoor Plant Soil Not Drying Out (+ Solutions )

Soil is one of the main and important things your plants need to grow healthy and strong.

It provides the plants with the nutrients they need to grow and thrive. However, over time, the soil in your plant’s container can become packed with mold and dirt, making it harder to dry and for your plant to get the nutrients it needs.

And the first step in solving your plant’s soil problem is to make sure your plant’s soil is dry.

If you notice that your plant soil is not drying out quickly, there is more chance that the soil is over watered and there is not enough drainage points in the pot, in the other hand the plant cannot consume all the water in the pot, because it lacks light or there is low temperature that causes poor vaporization.

Keep reading because in this post we will list every reasons why your plant soil cannot dry and how to fix it, in addition to some tips on how to make the soil dry quickly.

Let us dive right in.

Why your indoor plant soil not drying out?

Low Light

The first reason why plant soil remains soggy and dry is the lack of light. Light is an essential element for a plant to grow, and consume the water in the pot.

If your plant is placed in a dark or low light condition there are more chances that it will not need too much water, therefore the soil will need more time to dry.

Low light will not only make the soil wet and soggy it may also turn your plant yellow or pale and slow growth.

Low Temperature

Even if there is enough light in the room, but there are low temperatures, the plant still will not use the water as it should.

You can maintain the temperature of the room using a thermometer, however low temperature affects the soil not to dry, compared with high temperatures.

Lack The Movement Of Air In a Room

Another situation that causes the soil to not dry is poor air circulation in the room.

Just like the temperature, if there is a lack of air flowing in the room the water will have a hard time to evaporate.

A plant that has good ventilation and enough space to breathe will perform and consume the water better than a plant that is in a closed place.

Pots With Few Or No Drainage Holes

This is critical.

Pots with small or no drainage holes, will keep the water in the pot for long hours, even if everything else is perfect, but the plant are prone to be over-watered.

Some pots lack drainage holes, especilay decorative houseplants, so do check your but if your plant pots have drainage holes.

Even small pots with small drainage holes will not retain the water easily, you can make them a little bigger using a drill or just with a sharp screwdriver.

Soil Quality

Some types of soil won’t just work for all plants, and some of them are even hard to dry quickly.

Make sure that you pick good quality soil , and if your plant already have light, temperature, and enough pot drainage but the water still stands in the plant surface for long times or it is muggy, then there is more chance that the soil is the main problem.

Large Pots

If you are not using the right pots for your plants, the plant may suffer from over watering or lack of it, in addition to the amount of soil which is also important.

For example you don’t need to have a large pot for a small Peace Lily and load it with 2kg of soil.

Plant Placement

Choosing a nice placement for your plant is important as is the lighting.

Plants do not need to be always in direct sunlight as this will make the leaves burn, most plants will be happy near the window, as there is some ventilation.

Do not place your plant somewhere just because it fits there.

Over Watering

This is maybe an obvious tip but we want to mention it, over-watering in general will affect any plant.

Some plants may need more or less water, so to know when to water your plant is important to avoid over watering it.

Over watering plants will not just make the soil hard to dry, but it may kill the plant.

So see how often your houseplants should be watered or what the desired climate for your houseplant should be.

What To Do If Your Soil Is Too Wet?

Keep Your Plant In a Lighted Area

If your plant is not the type that needs to be in a sunny place, relocate it to a place where there is indirect sun.

On the other hand if the plant likes the sun, the sunlight will definitely help make the soil dry quickly, just make sure that you don’t keep the plant under the sun for a long time.

There are some tips you can do to help the light reach the wet soil:

• Change the placement of your plant especially if positioned between other plants.
• Remove any items that block the light from the pot.
• If your plant has large branches or leaves that block the light to reach the soil you can move or elevate them nicely to make some space for the sun to get to the soil.
• You can use a small stick and make small holes in the soil, ensure to not touch or harm the roots, that will help the plant breath more and consume water.

Use Good Drainage Pots

If your pots has no or small draining holes, you can easily fix the problem by making them as described above and in the video.

Ensure that you don’t also make excessive holes that will make both water and soil come away from the pot.

Change The Soil

If your soil has already spent over 12 or 18 months, it is probably the time to change it.

You don’t need to change the pot, just make sure that you clean it neatly.

1. Make sure that you handle your plant gently so it slides from the pot easily.
2. Remove the old soil
3. Clean the pot
4. add the new soil and add your plant and water it.

Manually Remove the Water

That may not solve the problem entirely but will help to remove the water above the soil.

you can use a towel or any a piece of cloth to absorb some the water from the soil, this will remove any dry soil quickly, and leave less water to the plant.

This will work more if you notice that the water is soggy on top of the plant and is not evaporating.

The Verdict

There are many reasons indoor plant soil not drying out, especially over watering, lack of light or small to no drainage holes are the most common causes of keeping houseplants soil wet.

Plants need some care, and you should always always keep an eye on your plant soil and how it performs.

If you are new to planting make sure to do some research about your plant, as they are different types, know its requirements and the soil you are using.

We hope some of the methods above help you make your plant soil dry quickly, and make your plant happy and thrive.