Why won’t my soil absorb any water? Is it ok to soak aloe vera?

Question

I recently found a beautiful aloe vera plant abandoned on the street. I repotted it and keep it in a sunny spot. I’ve had it for 2 weeks and hadn’t watered it, and the soil was very dry, so I tried to water this morning. I say ‘tried’, because when I started pouring water in it seemed none of the water was absorbed by the soil. I ended up just tipping the plant to get all the excess water out. Did I just pack down the soil too much? Why wouldn’t it absorb? I’ve seen other people suggest doing a soak but I wasn’t sure if that was a good idea for aloe vera as it’s easy to overwater… please help!

Answer 1

That is strange. Compaction can have these results, but usually letting it sit for a few seconds will allow it to absorb.

If this is clay soil, then you will want to amend this. Clay soil can be difficult to work with, and turns into an impenetrable barrier to water.

This article will help you to amend clay soil: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/how-to-improve-clay-soil.htm

This article will help you to grow Aloe outdoors: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/aloe-vera/growing-aloe-outdoors.htm